Hang Your Heart
by EnvelopedThoughts
Summary: "See you soon." Kairi had pressed the handmade ornament into Sora's hand, the subtle finality of the sentiment hitting her in the way she knew it would. Maybe this is the way it will always be. With that charm, he'd carry a piece of her wherever he may go. It had to be good enough. Title from song by Tokyo Police Club. [Sokai]
1. Speed

"Reflect! Cure! Cure! Cure yourself, Lassie! Now REFLECT!" The disgruntled wizard hollered over and over and over again. Axel, still disabled from using his fire magic, had given up his composure moments earlier, savagely attacking one of the five giant ice crystals that had encircled them with all his might.

"Not the wisest choice, Lea." Merlin shook his head and folded his arms. The dissatisfaction was plain on his face today as it had been yesterday and the day before.

The clatter of steel on ice rang louder with each blow. The light blue glow emitting from the center of the crystal darkened and swelled, encompassing the entire orb and growing larger with each strike. Shards of shattered ice rained down everywhere as the orb spun faster. _I must be faster._ Kairi lept forward out of the center of the training field towards her classmate.

"Axel! Stop!" She screamed, encapsulating them in her barrier a moment too late. With one last frustrated strike the crystal burst, sending a blinding beam onto Axel. Kairi shielded her eyes and jumped out of the way. When she looked back his arm and keyblade coated in a thick layer of ice.

The crystal detonated a chain reaction, rapidly growing into the next one. A blistering freeze burned her skin as each crystal burst with ice and water. The water was worse. Kairi closed her eyes to the light and put up another barrier. If she could at least get her shield back up as soon as it faded, she could perhaps time it again to save herself from the onslaught of frozen knives. Unfortunately, her timing had never been good under pressure- which was always. She didn't try to block when one large cold hit finally paralyzed her joints. Kairi collapsed, effectively yielding.

Then the haze cleared and the violet summer sky opened up to her. Kairi stared up blankly, motionless as Merlin's advance cure spells coated her body in warmth.

"Reflect!" Merlin waved his hands in the air and hurried towards them frantically. "How many times do I have to tell the two of you? Whatever is the point of my being here?"

"That," groaned Axel, "is a good question." He flipped over onto his stomach and pushed himself from the ground. Kairi remained, staring at the sky, trying to figure out how exactly she ended up here.

"Now don't start getting wise with me, boy, I won't always be here to break the ice. Kairi dear, are you alright?" Kairi rose deadweight like at zombie, looked at Merlin and nodded. "Good." Merlin turned on his heels and began marching up the stone steps out of the courtyard. "Now wash up and come inside. Be happy these aren't real heartless, else likely you'd be dead thanks to Lea here. And work on your timing. And, for the love of all that is wizardly, reflect!"

 _I did_ \- she thought as the master disappeared, quite literally, before the entrance of the manor. Kairi wondered how many years it had been since he'd last used a doorknob. She dropped her head back down onto the grass and felt blood rushing to her face.

She fought the urge to unabashedly sob, and not for the first time. Lea stopped in his tracks and Kairi held her breath. He waited a few seconds before continuing on.

Permitting the exhale, she pushed herself up, her arms still trembling, and carefully got to her fighting stance. She stood on a jagged patch of ice that led all the way to the house. She took two steps, her body aching and tennis shoes soaked, before slipping and falling back down on her stomach, her hands catching the wet ground as the ice abruptly melted into a puddle of cold water that rose up to meet her. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. What resulted was an odd combination of the two that manifested itself from the pit of her stomach.

"Hey! Easy there!" Axel shouted, splashing over in his combat boots. "Are you okay?" He asked, holding his hand out.

"Thank you." Kairi sniffled, letting Axel awkwardly pull her up by the elbow. "Yes, I'm fine."

"You need better shoes." Axel stood in front of her and scratched his head. His hair was drenched and clung to his face. "Sorry, that was my fault. He shouldn't have blamed it on you like that."

"No, it's alright." Kairi choked. "He's not bad, and he's right. My timing is still off, I've only successfully reflected anything once and it was an accident." She gave a half-truthful little laugh. "This is… this is all I've ever wanted. To be out here training to fight so I, I'm not..." she looked at her shoes sinking in the mud, "I should be happy." She pressed her cold hands into her hot cheekbones. "I don't know- when are you supposed to stop feeling like a failure?"

"Gee, I, uh.."

"I'm sorry. I'm being so silly. Forget I said anything." She turned away from her former abductor and started sloshing towards the mansion.

"Hey, I'm a failure too!" He called out from behind her. "I mean... I didn't mean that. You're not a failure. And you're not in over your head. The keyblade chose you right?" He took off his glove and wrapped an arm around her, rubbing her bare arm to give them warmth. Kairi stiffened before instinctively stepping away. Axel raised both hands over his head defensively.

"Sorry! Sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I won't touch you. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay! I just- didn't see you there." She gave him a tiny, hesitant punch to the bicep then turned away and took a few heavy steps, finally arriving at the gate which thankfully swung open without prompting.

"Still scared of me, huh?" Merlin had usually cut in through any of this unwanted tension before too long. Kairi couldn't remember the last time she had been completely alone with him.

Oh right.

"It's okay. I'm scared of me sometimes too." Kairi had nothing more to add.

* * *

"Sit down, dear laddies. Do warm yourselves."

A blink of the eye and the Library was illuminated by a soft, golden hue. The fireplace Merlin had pulled out from his magic bag was positioned in the center of the room, providing the dusty, forgotten setting some much-needed warmth. Kairi approached the mantel and was immediately swept off her feet and into an old wooden chair with a red plaid cushion. A kindly blanket tapped her on the shoulder before taking its position snug around her shoulders. She looked to Axel, whose blanket was wrapped tightly around his face and gripped desperately over his chest. He seemed to be having a rougher time than she was shaking off the cold. His body was hunched towards the fire and his face was still red.

"Splendid jobs today! Both of you!" Kairi and Axel looked up in confusion. Master Merlin was a drill master by day, but by evening he was a jovial old bed and breakfast host, full of stories and compliments, but he had never brought up training in his more cheerful persona, much less complimented either of them on their skill.

"What do you mean? You completely wiped the floor with us!" Axel said.

"Precisely. I never expected either of you to be triumphant. Now you understand." Axel looked to Kairi for answers.

"We... do?" Asked Kairi.

"Here my dear, would you like a spot of tea?" He flicked his wrist and a full, proper tea set appeared before her, the teapot already pouring steaming tea into one of the two teacups.

"Yes! Thank you." As she reached to take the saucer, a bracelet materialized on her wrist. It was a plain silver band inlaid with three small stones; ruby, sapphire, and emerald.

"That will increase all your elemental defenses by about twenty percent, ehrm, give or take. Now you don't have to wear it, so long as you carry it with you, it should be helpful."

"What in the name of- well why didn't you give this to us before I almost died from hypothermia?" Axel exclaimed as he jumped from his seat, raising teacup and saucer in each hand. Kairi smiled, his black coat contrasted against the pink, floral porcelain.

"Because then you wouldn't have understood."

"Understood what?"

"If that bracelet had lessened the severity of the damage, you wouldn't have experienced first hand how it feels when all else fails."

"What do you mean?" Kairi interjected, put off by the assumption. "I know at least how it feels when the worst happens."

"Yes, but did you ever give up? Did you ever force yourself to accept defeat?"

"No! I.. I couldn't…"

"Precisely. Your determined spirit is a strong quality within your heart. Both of you." Merlin looked to Axel, who was still standing there holding his arms up. His brow furrowed deeper in confusion "But failure isn't something to be despised. Failure makes us grow and move forward. You mustn't be so anxious and afraid to fail. Now that you've faced a little slice of it, you will be better prepared for the multitude of unsuccessful endeavors that lie ahead."

"Fantastic!" said Axel with a dramatic flourish as he slumped back into his chair.

"You mock me, Lea, but in time I'm certain you'll come to understand what I mean."

"Is there something I missed? because…" Kairi interjected. She took a deep breath and tamed the anxiety in her voice. "With all due respect, Master, I didn't come here to fail."

"I didn't say you would continue to fail, I said you will fail. Not here, not necessarily, but throughout the entirety of your lives. You carry those lessons with you, improving upon your mistakes without letting them drag you down. Confidence, my dear. You shall have confidence. In fact, I already gave you the pathway. I cast a little of my magic on that bracelet there that will give you all the confidence you will need to succeed, so long as you also believe it within your heart."

Kairi held her hand up and examined the bracelet skeptically. "Did you really?" She asked flatly.

"Hmph." Axel sighed, sipping his tea. The handle on his cup was too small for his grip and his pinky lifted on its own accord.

"Well, why don't we test it out? Stand up." As he spoke, the chair levitated slightly and tilted downwards, placing Kairi firmly on her feet. The blanket danced away from her, taking her teacup and saucer with it. Her training clothes had dried completely. "Now, count. How long does your barrier stay up?"

Kairi summoned her keyblade and did as instructed. "1.. 2.. 3.. 4.." Her barrier faded.

"Now try again. Focus. Try to make it to five." Kairi put her barrier back up.

"1.. 2.. 3.. 4… 5!" Her barrier went down.

"Excellent work! Now do it again, and just as you get to five, put another one up." Kairi nodded and guarded herself once again. With a wave of his wrist, Merlin sent one of the many books from the surrounding shelves towards her at count four. She dropped her barrier and took it in the shoulder. Kairi let out a yelp, crumpling as she clutched her tingling arm at the elbow.

"It may surprise you that a barrier is actually meant to prevent that from happening." Said Merlin with a bit of mirth. He waved his wand and her shoulder pain melted away instantaneously. "Now- try again!"

She saw one coming in her peripheral and didn't take her focus off the barrier, getting the next up in the nick of time. The book deflected away from her and went soaring towards Axel's head. Kairi's hands flew to her mouth, but Axel, in turn, held up his palms defensively. The cup and saucer shattered on the floor and the book was set ablaze before dropping at his feet.

"How? What..?" Axel was incredulous.

"We did it!" Kairi clapped her hands and bounced on the balls of her feet gleefully.

"Indeed, you both trusted your instincts. Well done."

"But I thought you said I wouldn't be able to use my fire magic."

"I did say that, yes."

"So you're allowing me now? I can use fire?"

"My boy, I never did anything to inhibit your natural magic abilities. I simply told you the truth, which is that you wouldn't be able to use them. Not until you relearned them instinctually with the keyblade. You are always on the offensive. It's what you're accustomed to. But the keyblade is a mysterious weapon which requires balance. One cannot simply attack at all times."

"So.. you're saying my mind wasn't in the right place?" Said Axel.

"I'm saying your heart wasn't in the right place." Said the wizard. Axel summoned his keyblade and gazed at it with a newfound curiosity. Merlin beamed at him for a moment before his eyes filled sorrow. "I worry for you young key bearers and the weight that you must carry for the sake of the worlds." The wizard reclined into his chair with a spot of tea. "Master Yen Sid has expressed to me similar concerns, especially in regards to your friend, Sora."

"Sora?" That certainly stole all of her attention. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's his heart, having been injured by the confrontation with Xehanort. And besides that, no doubt he carries an emotional burden having failed his exam and all. I just wish Yen Sid had..." the wizard trailed off, either out of self-censorship or distraction.

Her head was spinning from the influx of information. She silently begged the wizard for more.

"Yet the boy just smiles and sets off on yet another quest to bear the weight of all worlds. It's... it's much, too much, especially for a young lad."

Kairi hadn't seen Sora since he left for the tower. She had thought she would see him when Yen Sid summoned her, but her arrival and departure had been arranged while Sora was gone. She often found herself wondering if that was intentional on Yen Sid's part, or perhaps even Sora's.

"You didn't know any of that, did you?" Axel asked, the concern on his face matching her own. Kairi shook her head.

"Oh!" Merlin said. "Oh.. oh dear. I'm terribly sorry."

"No, please, don't be. I'm glad I know." All of the attention was on her now. "I better get to bed. It's been a long day."

"I understand, sleep well my dear, and don't lose heart! You're progressing wonderfully."

"Really?" Kairi asked. Master Merlin had never said any such thing to her. Her ears burned for the encouragement.

"Yes, really. You have excellent natural resources which you work hard on. Your barrier is as powerful as a full-fledged keyblade master, so long as you can stay focused and keep a handle over it."

"I don't know what to say. Thank you." Kairi beamed with enthusiasm.

"Hey! What about me?" Axel, never one to be ignored, waved his hands in the air emphatically as if he wasn't the most conspicuous man in the universe. "I didn't get the luxury of the pretty pink light shield!" Kairi rolled her eyes. Nothing was ever fair enough for Axel.

"You, Lea, will be able to practice your fire magic." Axel was about to speak, but Merlin wasn't done. "Only under my supervision and ONLY within designated trials. I'll need to protect this manor from stray flames. We must remember we are guests here."

Kairi left the door open behind her as she disappeared into the foyer.

"Say, Master, why are we guests here? Don't you have a house in Radiant Garden?" Kairi stopped and listened just out of their eye line.

"Yes, what of it?"

"Well, ya know, I'm from Radiant Garden, and so is Kairi, and so are you, so what are we doing here? I mean don't get me wrong, this town's nice and all, I have some rather fond memories, but it would be nice to talk to some people for a change. Real people, I mean."

"Yes, let's simply parade a pure light around in a world where one would expect to find her, keyblade in hand. Don't you remember what Master Yen Sid told you?"

"Yeah, yeah… protect the Princess first." Kairi balled her fists and bit her lip. Thoughts of frustration, helplessness, and guilt over the matter of her safety plagued her and followed her wherever she went. Her pride would have to take the hit, she knew, because she did need protection. Outside of her own life, there were the lives of billions to consider.

So what if she could only talk to two real people. Her and Axel would simply have to accept that. Unless, of course, Axel left.

Then it would just be her again.


	2. Renew

" _Can you hear me?"_

" _I knew that was you. Yes, I'm awake."_

" _I can feel you. You shouldn't be here"_

" _He's looking for her."_

" _He shouldn't be."_

" _I'm looking for you."_

" _Roxas..."_

" _Shh. He'll hear you."_

* * *

The tower was a shadow of its former glory, not that Sora had ever seen it in those days. He thought perhaps it needed a little redecorating. The disorganized books on the shelves had been gathering dust, some of them lay open, littering the assortment of eclectic furniture. Sora was rather disenchanted by the once awe-inspiring tower, proudly protruding into the infinite cosmos, frowning disapprovingly down at anybody who failed to reach the stars.

"...and the terrible darkness will return to devour all worlds once more, as prophecies proclaim." Yen Sid was saying somewhere in the background. Sora stood up straight, remembering himself. "For years I've fraught over the reemergence of one most terrible, fearsome weapon, one that can only exist once pure light clashes with pure darkness."

 _Pure light._

Sora's eyes wandered back to the night sky behind the old wizard, shimmering brightly in the crescent-shaped window.

"Sora, it is of the utmost importance that you guard your heart, keep the darkness at bay, else there may be severe consequences."

"Why _my_ heart?" _What are you not telling me?_

"You are unique in that you are one of the Keyblade's chosen ones, but essentially because of the multitude of hearts bound to yours, and..." Yen Sid trailed off as he studied Sora. Unexpected urgency seized an unsuspecting keyblade wielder.

"What is it? Is it about Roxas?" Sora asked eagerly. When Yen Sid still heeded no response, Sora's impatience escalated. He was always kept in the dark until it was too late to matter anymore. What happened to Master Aqua was devastating, and here Yen Sid would repeat all of his actions over again, withholding information and leaving people behind. "What is it, Master? Because if it's about my heart I think I ought to know!"

Goofy placed a large hand on his shoulder, Sora didn't need to look to know the troubled expression he wore. Donald may have scolded him, he had long stopped listening. Sora sucked in his breath, waiting for his reprimand. Yen Sid took a loaded pause, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply through his large nostrils. His face remained as impassive as ever.

"What you ought is not what you need." Said the wizard. Sora hung his head and released his shoulders, feeling a tingling sensation in his muscles as he forced out the tension. _What was wrong with him lately?_

"Master, I'm sorry, I-" Sora lifted his eyes, terrified of what might fly out of his mouth next.

"Sora, do not misinterpret me. I know you have the capability of a great and powerful keyblade master, but you have to trust the guidance given instead of submitting to your natural recklessness. You must learn to control every impulse and face each new challenge not as a rambunctious child, but as the calm, wise, calculated man I know you can be. Guard your heart. Always look to your light."

 _His light._

"Sora?" Donald inquired softly after a moment, his black eyes enlarged and brow furrowed.

"Master, I think I can find my light easier with my friends, through my connection to my home, don't you think?"

"I agree. You did excellent work for the people of Mount Olympus, but there are many worlds yet that are destined to meet you." Sora, for once, felt more overwhelmed than enthused. It wasn't the course of action he had been hoping for.

"More worlds!" Sora smiled brightly, convincing himself. "That's fantastic! And then from there?"

"We must pray that Riku and Mickey return from their mission successfully. Until then, the people need you. They should be your one and _only_ priority."

"I understand, but aren't there other keyblade wielders? Don't they also need protection from the Organization?" He could practically feel the exchanged smirk his companions gave each other on the back of his neck.

"Do you," Master Yen Sid cleared his throat loudly, "by chance, mean... the princess?" Yen Sid asked, His tiny pupils narrowed and his pursed lips threatened a smile that somehow made him all the more terrifying.

"Or Riku, or Ax...Lea, or— what princess? I've met lots of princesses!" Sora stammered.

" _Kairi_ is currently in good care, you needn't worry about her. Which reminds me, I was asked to deliver this to you." He pulled a folded piece of ecru paper from his sleeve. Sora knew that stationary.

Sora gingerly accepted the letter and unfolded it as if it could crumble to dust in his hands. Donald and Goofy snickered at his impetuosity, but he paid them no mind. His eyes poured over the words, then after he had checked the other side, he turned it over again and reread more slowly, deliberately.

"Not s'posed to worry," Sora muttered under his breath, "When were you going to tell me about this?" He let it slip, his voice jumping an octave so fast that it took even Sora by surprise. Yen sid smirked.

"I knew you would be the first to bring it up. I've seen your heart, Sora." The ancient wizard's words hung ominously over Sora's head. It was true he must've peered into his heart while Sora was asleep, but how much could he have seen? How much could anyone have?

"The letter..." Sora studied the piece of paper in his hands again. It was her handwriting, certainly. "She didn't mention where she was."

"That was for her own protection."

"Protection? From me?" He gestured towards his friend, the duck. "From Donald? Is he that problematic?" Donald folded his arms with an indignant 'hmph.'

"She was instructed to keep the details vague. I'd say she gave a little too much away, but Merlin deemed it safe enough to deliver it to me nonetheless." Of course, he would make this unbearable.

"I'd like to see her," Sora admitted, humbled.

"Obviously." Donald quacked. Sora blushed, but by that point he had moved passed embarrassment. Master Yen Sid closed his eyes and folded his hands.

"I had assumed as much. Unfortunately, I cannot allow that." Sora carried the weight of the worlds on his shoulders, but he managed to float around weightless most days. Times like these made him feel too heavy to stand.

"Why not?" Sora wasn't too proud to make a plea, but the wizard was an immovable mountain of a man.

"Because she is safe. Leave her be. You would only lead enemies to their doorstep. And besides all that, you are needed elsewhere. _Remember_ your duty to the worlds."

Before Sora could get another word in, there was a sharp knock on the door. Without waiting for a response, his majesty himself strolled in with a look of triumph on his naturally jubilant face, followed by Sora's effortlessly cool and collected best friend. Riku and the king wore the exact same outfit, save for their color scheme, which Sora was sure to tease Riku over later.

"Your Majesty!" Quacked Donald, as he and Goofy tossed Sora back and forth between them to get to their king. Donald rushed over and enveloped Mickey and Goofy followed suit, picking up the small duo. "We're so glad you made it back safe!" The master rose from his throne, looking twice as threatening towering over everyone, even Riku.

"ha-Ha! We haven't left yet," said the king.

"Oh." Said Donald. Goofy dropped the mouse and the duck with a thud.

"Where did you guys come from?" Asked Sora, smiling despite himself. It was always good to see Riku.

"We just..." Riku started, "um, well,"

"Surely you know by now about Kairi and Lea. We just finished up dropping them off."

"Uh..." Sora looked back at the letter in his hand then to Yen Sid. "How did you-"

"As explained by Kairi, time moves very differently in Merlin's chamber than in the real world. It is an inspired invention, truly. Some of the best magic I've seen in centuries." Yen Sid commended.

"Speaking of inventions." Mickey chimed brightly "Sora, I have a gift for you on behalf of the citizens of Disney Town and the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee." Mickey reached into his back pocket and presented to him a small, handheld object.

"It's a phone! Can you believe it?" Said Riku. The device appeared to be a tiny computer without a keypad encased in a golden crown. Sora pressed the only button, a symbol of his majesty's, and the thing came to life.

"Whoa..." Sora, Donald, and Goofy expressed in awe. Sora was entranced by it, his inquisitive disposition taking over immediately as he randomly pressed the tiny computer screen buttons leading him to thrilling new places. "This is amazing!"

"Easy there. You're going to lock yourself out, or find some auto-destruct button, or something." Riku observed. Sora never did have a knack for technology. Being an islander, he simply never had much need for the knowledge. Perhaps if he had stayed in school he would have learned a little more about basic electronics, but this kinda stuff was next level to Sora. And _of course_ , Riku was already an expert, at least in comparison.

"And you can call anyone on it!" Mickey cheered.

"Anyone?" Sora asked, looking to his best friend for confirmation.

"Anyone in this dimension," Riku admitted. Neither the dark realm nor the time bubble Kairi was in could be considered 'this dimension.'

"Well, my sincerest thanks, King Mickey. To you and to all of the residents of your realm." Sora bowed, proud of his formality. Mickey only chuckled.

"Aww, anytime Sora. You're going to need it. You can also receive messages, which we will utilize to send important information to you throughout your journey. Have it with you at all times!"

"I will." Sora took a militant stance and nodded, signaling his loyalty to Mickey.

"You're probably going to be getting quite a few calls from Ienzo." added Riku, "He's analyzing old data from before the original Ansem reports. We think there might be a connection between them and the organization's current plan."

"What do they want with that? They have their plan, and it involves _us_ , not the heart of all worlds or the pure lights," said Sora, worry betraying his tone. "I don't see what any old data could have that would be any more useful than what they already know."

"We have reason to believe there is more to it than that," Riku said, steadily meeting Sora's eyes, acknowledging what they both feared, and whom they feared most for. "It may have something to do with the creation of nobodies. We're still not sure. But whatever they're looking for, Ienzo says its vitally important to them." Sora turned back to Yen Sid, placing his hands on the edge of the wizard's desk.

"Master, what about Roxas? I promised I'd release him. He deserves to be his own person." Sora inquired earnestly. The Master took another long, exhausted sigh.

"Sora, I'm afraid we cannot risk opening your heart, considering the incident with Xehanort." Yen Sid stated, not unkindly, but not in a tone that rendered any argument.

"So- what? So.. Roxas is just, trapped? Imprisoned inside me? Forever?"

"I did not say forever. For the time being, at least, yes." Sora was too frustrated to speak.

"Remember the stakes, Sora." Riku spoke up from behind him. He wrapped an arm around Sora's shoulders and rattled him slightly, willing him to his usual persona. "When all this is over, we'll find a way to save Roxas. And... think about it for a second; the organization likely has their sights set on him as well." Sora considered this.

"Yea, you're right." Sora conceded as he had a thousand times before. He could throw himself on the altar for what he believed in, impale his own heart without a second opinion, but he could never do anything that would ultimately cause more harm than good for the people he loved. There were too many risks and sacrifices for one person's personal freedom. Roxas actually understood that. Sora, too, was finally starting to get it through his head.


	3. Resurface

It was one of those rare moments when Lea was in an overall positive mood. The warm, welcoming, relaxed color scheme of orange, red, and violet was the ideal aesthetic shift from the white, black and gray rigid palette he was used to living in.

Axel's life. Not Lea's. Axel had connections to this place, but Lea wasn't going to go there today. T'was a pretty nice day, after all, there was no need to rain all over it.

He took the alleyway to avoid the kids on skateboards who liked the sloped one-way streets. Too many times had he almost barricaded himself with fire with his all too easily triggered defenses. Barbecuing children was a surefire way to turn the citizens of Twilight Town against him, simulated or not.

He exited into the center of Tram Common. The market was abuzz in preparation for the latest struggle tournament. This was the ideal time to go shopping, something that could always keep Lea in high spirits.

He approached a favorite confectionary shop, its displays featuring a marvelous mouth-watering assortment of cakes, cookies, and fruit tarts that also sold basic potions and ethers for cheap during Struggle season. A friendly and inviting window dressing offset by the shop owner. It used to be a frequent stop for Axel, with their small ice cream freezer in the far left corner containing his absolute favorite.

More memories from Axel. Never could hold onto a good mood. Only adding to that was the shop's current customer.

"Isn't it two for 60? I got this flyer-"

"The promotion ends at noon. Read the fine print." The shopkeeper's tone offered no apologies. Sure enough, the flyer the princess was holding did have writing on the bottom, but it was far too tiny for a glance and looked more like a printing error than anything else.

Axel might have bought up the entire stock, nonchalant look on his face, while ignoring her the entire time, perhaps even handing them out to the struggle victors for personal popularity, just to see if he got any amusement out of it.

"Oh! I guess I missed that. Sorry." She gave a little smile. The woman may as well have been made of stone. Kairi cleared her throat "I'll just take one potion then."

"40 munny."

Or Axel would've left before finding himself in an awkward situation, should he have felt like being nice.

"Make that two potions, please. And two sea salt." Lea interjected. Mimi mindlessly jabbed at the numbers on the register.

"112."

"What? 16 gold for ice cream? I thought we were friends Mimi!" The woman gave him a nonplused look.

"It's.. it's struggle season and we're low on stock and do I know you?" Lea should've figured that the replica town would have a clean-slated memory, distancing himself from any of Axel's time there. For good reason, no doubt, never know what someone might've seen.

"Axel… You don't have to…"

"It's nothing," Lea responded without a glance. "You drive a hard bargain, Mimi," Lea shook his head and pulled the munny from his coat pocket, counting the coins. "You must know by now that I'm hopelessly in love with you and I feel like you take advantage of that." He slapped the munny on the counter and took the ice cream from the utterly bewildered woman. Kairi grabbed the two potions and scurried off to the side.

"Until we meet again," Lea said holding Mimi's gaze one more elongated dramatic beat. He would have clutched his chest had his hands not been full.

"So did she end up remembering you?" Kairi asked when Lea caught up to her.

"Hm? Oh, of course not, I was just having a little fun." Kairi laughed in spite of herself.

"Well, don't you think it's going to be awkward when you have to go back there for something?"

"Hm... I suppose I'm not too concerned about that stuff. I mean, none of this is real, right?"

"I suppose...Still, we may be staying a while. I have to, anyway." She did her best not to sound melancholy, but it escaped her regardless. It wasn't uncommon, and perhaps he should've made a greater effort to connect with her when they had first found themselves stranded together. Then again, he wasn't sure why he should be concerned. He'd grow on her, or not, it didn't matter.

"Here," Kairi said, handing him one of the potions.

"What? No, those are yours. I'm all set." She furrowed her brow then examined the vile in her outstretched hand.

"You should save your munny. I really don't want to-"

"Seriously, will you just take it? It's fine. As I said, I'm set." Kairi pulled the potion back, taking another hard look at the label.

"How?" That was a good question. As it would turn out, fake monsters conjured by a deluded 800-year-old wizard only left a four-bit coin at most when destroyed. Too often they didn't yield anything at all.

"I have my ways," Lea said with a bit of mischief. The princess gave him a wary look.

"They aren't nefarious!"

"Never said they were!"

"Okay... good. Well, here ya go." He said handing her the sea salt treat. The ice cream had already begun to melt in the scorching summer day, leaving the handle sticky.

"What's this?" She asked, cautiously pinching the handle and holding it away from her.

"That's called ice cream," Lea said, using the voice he saved for amnesiacs and toddlers, charmed by the eye-roll he got in response. "Got it memorized?"

"I know that, but why are you giving this to me?"

"What, did you think I bought these both for myself?"

"Well, no, but," She decided with a polite smile. "Thank you." Lea nodded in response. They stood there silently for a moment nodding at each other.

"Okay. Later." Lea said, turning on his heels and starting off in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?" Kairi called.

Axel threw his hand up behind him and continued onward. He listened a few moments, thinking she would run off until he heard the sound of footsteps shuffling to keep up.

* * *

"Are you afraid I'm going to push you off or something?"

"No..."

"What then? Do perhaps heights give the princess frights?"

"No," she said, "but, that is a far drop down."

"Suit yourself. Nobody has fallen as far as I know. Those friends of yours, Hayden? Prince? They're up here all the time." Not that the simulated trio knew who she was.

"I think Sora's nobody, Roxas fell." Lea turned back to the sunset, saying nothing but listening intently. "I dreamed it... as though it was me. But I was him. I was also talking to him. Then I was talking to Sora, only I didn't remember Sora, and I didn't know what a nobody was much less who in the worlds Roxas was. It's silly, really. Yet, I don't know, I didn't even remember it until I was up here. All this time I've been staring at this clock tower, wondering why it... sparked something. I had assumed that maybe it was somewhere Sora had gone while I was... Axel, did you know Naminé very well?"

Unfortunately, this turned out to be a terrible idea. He could attempt to casually pry for more information on Roxas, but if she could trigger Namine's memory, he figured it might be better if he cut his losses while he was ahead in this conversation.

"I knew her, kind of. Roxas though, he..."

"Oh right! I forgot. He was part of the organization wasn't he?"

"You forgot?" Lea turned to her. "What the hell did you and baby boy talk about when you got home?" Kairi scoffed.

"We talked about his adventures to different worlds and what had been going on around the island while he was away and- it's not important. So you… you knew Roxas and Naminé?"

A different time. A different man.

"Yeah. Roxas was my best friend, actually."

"Really? How did that happen?"

"Why is that surprising?"

"Well, Roxas was Sora's nobody..."

"Yes?"

"I don't know, I guess I assumed you didn't like Sora."

"Why do you say that? I stuck my neck out for Sora, went up against the big guns, twice."

"I know that." Otherwise, surely she would never sit here with him. "That was the right thing to do. I'm not questioning your morality. Well, not right now anyway." Lea smirked. "I've just noticed that you tend to scoff whenever the Master mentions him, and you're always referring to him as 'baby boy' or 'special boy,' and the way you call him 'the hero.'"

"I thought he was 'the hero.'"

"Not by the way you say it. You make it sound as if he shouldn't be."

He didn't owe any justification, but something about the nostalgic taste, the setting sun, and the sincere blue eyes made him feel like talking. He cursed Axel in his head for giving him the notion to come back to this accursed tower.

"I have nothing against Sora." He said to the sun, "He's a good kid, I guess. He's just lucky." Lea took his last bite of ice cream and gave a deep sigh. "Roxas and I used to come up here." Kairi appeared next to him, carefully lowering herself onto the ledge."I see Sora... and I realize now that Roxas had all the heart Sora has. It's just... unfair."

Kairi stared down at her bare popsicle stick, eyes flickering in thought.

"And Naminé? Do you think she had all the heart that I have?" Lea knew at some point he would have to face all aspects of his past, though he had not been counting on facing it first with Naminé's damn somebody, not that he had the most trusting relationship with Kairi the first place.

"I didn't spend too much time with her," he lied, "but yeah, I believe so." And she likely despised him more than Kairi was even capable of.

"I only ask because I didn't know nobodies could grow their own hearts. I found out recently from Master Yen Sid. If I had known... anything really..." Kairi's voice caught in her throat and she took a short breath. "She told me she had to go. That we had to rejoin to be whole. I didn't even think to argue with her since she knew so much more than I did..." Anxiety and something like regret brimmed from her as she observed the fragile, peaceful civilization below. "I wish I..."

Prior to joining Kairi and Merlin, Lea hadn't spent much time thinking about Naminé. He likely had assumed she was safe in a white room drawing somewhere. Kairi had been fully intact; breathing, fighting back, remembering- why did Naminé need to go back to her?

"Do you talk to her?" Lea asked, bracing himself.

"Not really, though she talks to me sometimes, I think. I talk back, but I don't know if she hears me. It might just be my imagination, I don't know, but I have a strong feeling it's her. It sounds like her. It even smells like her."

"Smells?" Intriguing. Did Axel have a different smell than Lea?

"Yea! That happens when I'm dreaming, or when I'm half asleep. It's a smell that's so distinctly- her."

"What does she say?"

"I don't know. I never seem to remember when I wake up."

Lea felt relieved, then as a consequence, horrendously guilty. Even imprisoned and well out of reach of the Organization, the ghost of their former eighth member was still trying to stifle her. They hadn't departed on particularly bad terms, but he could hardly call her a "friend." Ironically, it was Naminé's departing words that had inspired the whole kidnapping plot in the first place.

"Kairi," intense blue orbs became alert again as Kairi resurfaced. "I am so, so very sorry. I know I've said it a million times, but I don't know if I've properly communicated-"

"I know, Lea." Kairi smiled prettily. That poor Sora.

"And, next time you talk to Naminé, tell her I'm sorry." It was long overdue

"For what?" Lea sighed, stood, turned, and tossed the popsicle stick over his shoulder.

"Another time, perhaps."


	4. Resonance

_-where the sea meets the sky-_

"See you soon." Kairi pressed the handmade ornament into Sora's hand, the subtle finality of the sentiment hitting her in the way she knew it would. Maybe this is the way it will always be. With that charm, he'd carry a piece of her wherever he may go. It had to be good enough.

"Hold on! I'm not leaving this second!" Sora caught her by the arm before she could slip away, freezing the two of them in the burning sand. He let her go instantly and threw his hand back behind his head with a wide, overdone grin. Riku leaned against the sloped palm tree with his arms folded across his chest and observed the entire scene, beat by beat, completely forgotten by the players.

* * *

Each time the dream played out, her expression, the way it had shifted when she thought he wasn't looking, became clearer. And yet, how much of the dream was truly his memory? Sifting through her subconscious unfailingly left him awake in the night, unreasonably frightened and wrought with guilt.

"I had no choice." He whispered to the stars.

The skylights he had recently installed in the Gummy Ship made each compact room feel infinite. Billions upon billions of lights representing the many places he would never see gleamed down upon him, encouraging him, fortifying him. He wondered what the sky looked like where she was.

Here on the SS Smile-Like-You-Mean-It, it was perpetually nighttime. Each new land functioned on an entirely different schedule, one which Sora would have to adapt to again soon. He sat up, guestimating how long he had slept, he never could tell after a dream. The auto engine gurgled and churned in the cockpit and Sora felt that slow, hovering pace which had soothed him to sleep over the past few tumultuous years.

 _"How many times have I been here with you staring out at the same stars?"_

Her heart speaks to him. He reaches back. Always reaching, yet it's always just out of his grasp.

Or, was it? It was also entirely likely that he was imagining these things in his pathetic little obsession, fabricating a conversation he wanted to have, inventing a love that didn't belong to him.

 _"I've always belonged to you..."_ The stars whispered in response.

Sora was torn between drawing her in and tuning her out, knowing neither would satisfy him. The most vivid memories raced through his mind. It was a good, sweet sound, as much it hurt to hear.

 _"...but you left."_

"I never wanted to leave you," he was quick to reply, "Not ever. All I ever wanted…" His arm flew to his brow as tears escaped his large, swollen eyes. Suddenly homesick, he yearned for his stolen childhood. Most of all, however, he ached for his friends, for all the people connected to him that missed their homes and their innocence. It was unbidden, unabashed, and utterly unlike him. "You are everything- everything."

He longed for the tiresome weekdays, racing home after school to change and then immediately meeting back up on the play island to do absolutely nothing. He missed the feel of the cool night air on the sea as he would row Kairi and himself to shore because one of their ores had been broken again. He had never experienced better weather.

"But you also deserve... everything."

 _"My heart chose yours."_

He knew that. Or, at least he thought he did. He couldn't be certain whether or not he was talking to himself. He had no right to monopolize her affections. Lately, however, she was there frequently in the twinkling of the stars.

* * *

"Sora? Are you okay?" Goofy stood hunched in the door frame rubbing the corner of his droopy eye with a knuckle.

"I'm fine, Goofy, you can go back to sleep." Sora faced the wall, away from the peering eyes of dogs and stars, and fell back on the bed.

"Aww, Sora." Goofy sighed, waiting. Sora stayed silent and still, suddenly made of stone, there would be no moving him tonight. "If you need to talk, you know we're always here for ya. No pressure or anything."

"Thanks, Goof," said Sora with a sniffle.

It was always that way between the three of them. Sora was at least glad they never pressed, unless it was a life or death situation. Unlike Riku and Kairi, who could easily get him to admit to the deepest darkest depths of his soul simply by asking how his day was.

They would find peace. Hopefully. Maybe. It felt like a fleeting concept, unimportant or uninteresting to the rest of the universe.

"Sora?"

"Yes, Goofy?"

"It will be alright. You just gotta trust your heart and…"

"…let it guide me. Yes. Thank you, Goofy."

"Sora…" Goofy whispered, conflicted. "Whatever you're feeling down about, I sure do hope ya feel better. I'm sorry I'm not much help to ya..."

"It's okay, Goof, really." Sora sat up, feeling the look Goofy was giving him on the back of his head. He couldn't stand it when Goofy looked at him like that. "You're one of my best friends and you're always there to help. And you're right, I do have to trust in my heart and believe things will turn out okay." Sora looked Goofy in the eye and gave the sincerest smile he could muster. "Or else what can you believe?" Sora was convinced of his own advice, not that it always helped. Goofy looked up at a corner of the room and scratched his brow.

"You can believe in each other." Goofy held his finger in the air as if a lightbulb had appeared over his head. "I believe in you, Sora. I believe you're going to be just fine."

"Thank you Goofy." Sora wiped a stray tear from his cheek and chuckled. "I believe in you too. And thank you, I really think I needed to hear that."

"Anytime, A-hyuck! Get some sleep now, Sora." And with that, the dog disappeared back into the hallway. "Pleasant dreams!"

He still had his youth. Losing a year of his life had made Sora obsess over the passage of time, and he was in no mood to grow up. He shouldn't lament visiting the worlds, it was the most exciting thing one could hope to do with their life. At least he wasn't asleep. He didn't need sleep.

But then, there was the darkness; the danger, the dread, the ever-present threat to the ones he loved that demanded his maturity time and time again.

* * *

 _"Oh, Sora?"_

A different, yet familiar voice now whispered. Its dry, raspy cadence drilled a hole in his heart and sent a chill down his spine.

 _"Vanitas."_ Sora himself had only met him once, back in Monstropolis not two days ago, but he had awoken something from deep within that Sora didn't know he possessed, nor did he understand at all.

 _"I know what's in your heart, Sora."_

The voice taunted, filling his ears with a clashing white noise, increasing in frequency the more he resisted.

"Leave me alone," he thought, "I'll deal with you another day. I'm not afraid of you."

 _"You should be."_

Sora squeezed his eyes shut, desperately willing his mind to drown out the nightmare.

 _"Because, as I said, Sora, I know what's in your heart."_

He was falling backward into the bottomless abyss, a weight on his chest forcing him down as he tried with his whole being to swim his way back up. He knew if he let go, there would be no end to the descent, no return from the darkness.

Sora forced his eyes open wide and straight to the stars, silently begging them for guidance.

[Hear me. Please. I'm sorry. {I love you.} I need you.]

 _"And unlike you, you miserable little fool,"_

Deafening silence abruptly drowned out the cacophony. Sora prayed it was over, his pounding heartbeat the only remaining sound until finally, he felt himself drifting off again to sleep.

 _"I have nothing I can't bear to lose."_


	5. Magic

Quick as she was, Kairi's sorcery still left much to be desired. She was already two firagas into destroying a standard dining chair when four blue tables floated above her head.

She got to work on the set, dodging out of the center of the dining room to the southeast corner where she could ice blast two tables from one angle. But by the time she had finished off one blue table, a yellow sofa and two red benches had swirled into the assortment.

Soon the room was a cyclone of primary colors, swirling and spinning and gaining speed around her. She blasted random spells in every direction, ducking from a chair that swooped too low and dodging a drawer that had flung off of a purple dresser. She didn't even know what purple was supposed to be.

"Kairi?" Merlin called from the doorway. "Are you still in here?" The wizard raised his arms high over his head and halted the furniture in midair.

"I thought maybe I'd do a little more training on my own today." She sat up, panting, and covered in sweat.

"You've certainly met the requirement for 'a little,'" Merlin speculated. "Have you been in here since our session ended this afternoon?"

"It never hurts to practice!" Kairi replied sanguinely.

"That, my dear, is false. Or have my lessons not been sufficiently disciplined?" Kairi lifted herself up and stood alert, ready for anything. "To become stronger, one must also have rest, both physically and mentally, to renew and endure. You can't learn while wearing yourself too thin."

"I understand Master." She had been hoping for an impromptu physical lesson, but alas came another mental one. "I won't be too much longer."

"I admire your tenacity, dearie, but I will not let you torment yourself with these absurd expectations." Merlin waved his wand and the furniture popped like giant bubbles, sprinkling into nothing. The old, oaken dining room table reappeared in the center of the room. "Now, there are a few old friends of mine eager to meet you. They're waiting in the foyer. Do go out and greet them, will you dear?"

A gust of wind hurried her out of the dining room and slammed the door behind her. Kairi huffed, shooting a glare at the solid oak. She _can_ walk using her own free will, she thought, facing the grand, vacant hall.

"Hello?" She called out to no one. The foyer lay bare as it had always been. Without the faintest idea who Merlin would permit her company, she assumed the matter to be important. She hoped against hope it would be her friends. Surely, though, that was only setting herself up for disappointment, so she let that thought go.

"We will keep it simple, and practical to boot. We'll put her in trousers. Yes, yes trousers! Short like her skirts- ah.. what do they call them in this world?" Voices reverberated off the walls. Kairi looked all around her, but there was no way to tell where they were coming from.

"Shorts. But her eyes-"

"And of course the ensemble will be pink-"

"But she likes skirts. She's always worn them. They suit her, and she is darling in them." A third, more genial voice chimed in.

Three glowing orbs, one red, one blue, and one green appeared out of thin air before Kairi. The light grew rapidly, exploding magic dust that glimmered into three fairies, each with their respective color.

"What if she dressed in blue? We've never seen her in blue, and it would bring out her beautiful blue eyes." The blue fairy argued. The red fairy sighed emphatically.

"I really don't think she-"

"Ex-cuse me?" Kairi broke in softly.

"Oh, hello my dear! It's so nice to finally meet you." Said the red one. "We were sent by Master Yen Sid to provide for you suitable attire fit for a keyblade wielder. You may call me Flora,"

"Yes! Yes, we have known you and your friends for quite some time, yet we have never been properly introduced. My name is Fauna." The kindly green one added.

"I'm Merryweather." Said the blue fairy. "Gosh, you are lovely."

"Yes, such radiant light," cooed Fauna.

"Yes, of course, dears, she's still one of the seven, which is why we mustn't stay long." Flora instructed. "A certain rotten fairy could be tracking us this instant."

The self-made leader levitated at once and flew around the room, drawing the curtains, shielding all view of the outside world and locking every door. Fauna ascended from where she stood, lighting the chandelier directly above her as Merryweather handled the wall sconces.

"Now," Flora gleamed, a twinkle in her eye, "let's get to work."

* * *

After bidding her farewells to her dear new friends, Kairi found herself walking through the large double doors, through the ruins of the courtyard and into the dense, dark wood. The breeze tickled her neck, and her new short hair made her feel light and free. Her custom-made dress was more flexible than the school athletic attire she had brought from home, weather and flame resistant yet surprisingly breathable. She couldn't wait to unlock and experiment the various abilities the fairies spoke of. She had seen Sora transform hundreds of times, so it shouldn't be too difficult.

She followed the thin sunlit path shining through the colossal pines, over the rope bridge, and up the slope until, at last, she saw the freckles of blue sky guiding her towards the clearing. Off the side of a cliff rolling hills and sprawling trees outstretched as far as the eye could see. Pink and yellow flowers sprinkled the grassy slope, almost glowing in the setting sun. There, perched on the jagged rock sat a tall redhead in a heavy black cloak.

Over the past few weeks, since that day at Central Station, Axel had taken to coming to this spot after training to contemplate. Kairi joined him sometimes, shooting the breeze and occasionally talking battle strategies. Something had shifted in their dynamic, she felt far more comfortable being alone with Axel, they were like friends.

"Hey Axel," Kairi greeted.

"Hey! Liking the look," said Axel with a small smile, "you cut your hair too."

"Mhmm" She twisted from side to side, displaying the mismatched frilly plaid and black pleated patterns on the sides of her skirt. It was a small detail, but it made the dress feel one thousand percent more her, a little quirky and unexpected- and was caused entirely by accident.

She had spent almost an hour with the good fairies, happily contributing ideas and openly expressing her opinion. Apparently, Sora was never too involved with his own sartorial choices, which didn't surprise Kairi in the slightest, and Riku was never around when those decisions were made for him. Kairi, however, had a wonderful time, giggling at their incessant squabbling over the most insignificant details that, to them, was in some ways unavoidable. Kairi nodded and took a seat next to Axel.

"Oh! And I got better shoes too, like you suggested! Look!" Kairi held up a boot and rotated her ankle around. "I asked them to give me combat boots like you. They didn't know what that meant, took a little explaining, but eventually, they made me these!"

"They?"

"The Three Good Fairies- they're friends of Merlin. They did all this. They had to fly off, though, but they promised to visit again soon."

 _"Our Rose was one of the seven pure lights."_ Fauna had told her while running a brush through her hair. _"You probably met her- erm, Princess Aurora?"_ Kairi remembered, but she never had much time with the other girls. _"I used to comb through her long golden curls like this all the time."_ Fauna had sighed then, away in her memories.

"Someone's happy," Axel observed. "Perhaps that bracelet really works."

"Or perhaps the fairies gave me a little more magic." She said with a grin.

"Oh really? What'd they do, cast the spell 'glee' on your boots?"

"No, but they did make them water, fire, and time-travel proof."

"What on earth is 'time-travel proof?'" Axel asked. Kairi winced.

"I was hoping you could tell me." Axel shrugged and shook his head, dumbfounded.

"Well, looks like you're well prepared for anything Merlin could throw at you."

"Mmhm! Hey, maybe next time they're around you can ask them for some new clothes."

"Hmph. I don't even know what I'd wear. Feels like anything else at this point would look ridiculous on me."

"Not as ridiculous as black leather in this heat."

"Hey, this suits me. Brings out my vibrant hair." Axel tossed his head to the side and flipped his spiky locks. Kairi chuckled.

"Whatever you say."

"Heh. Seriously, what's gotten into you?" asked Axel. Kairi held up her foot again and gestured to her boot. "No," he shook his head, "it's more than that."

Kairi had argued the benefit for many of the additional functions the fairies had deemed necessary, stating that she wouldn't have much use for them, always being hidden away and all.

" _Nonsense!_ " Flora had countered. " _The power you possess is one-of-a-kind, strong beyond even our understanding. They'll make use out of you._ "

" _Yes_ ," added Merryweather, " _Thank goodness Aurora doesn't wield a keyblade, I'd hate to think of her off fighting everyone else's wars."_

" _Hush_ ," Flora then commanded, " _Don't talk about war, you'll scare the poor girl._ " But Kairi didn't feel scared. She was emboldened, on her path, going in the right direction.

"Just-" Kairi began, "All of this. I feel like destiny is on my side."

"Hmph. Well, that's good for you," Axel sneered.

"Don't you believe in Destiny?"

"How do you people say things like that without a shred of sarcasm?"

"Is that a no?"

"It's an- I don't know. I guess I've been destined to live, though everyone around me changes. If I do have a touch of fate, I think I've pretty much used it all."

"Well, that's a ridiculous assumption," Kairi smiled, "how could you possibly know that?" Axel considered for a moment.

"The cat had nine lives," he replied, "what happens when it reaches the tenth? And what if the cat finds himself alone, lost in the darkness, without any of the cats he cared about? What's a cat to do?" Her smile faded.

"I get that." There was a moment of silence. Kairi leaned back on her palms and stared at the sun. "I'd like to get a cat someday, though I like dogs, too." Axel laughed.

"Is that all you got out of what I said?"

"No," Kairi tittered, "I know what you said, but it's rather cynical, don't you think? I mean, you're on the side of the light now, right?"

"Well, yeah..."

"Then destiny is on your side, too. The light will never fail you." Kairi took a beat, remembering. "Even in the deepest darkness, when all else seems lost, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you." She grinned and pointed to her temple. "Got it memorized."

"Hmph. Is that something they teach in princess school?"

"No," Kairi traced the outline of a large cloud in the shape of a whale. She remembered, vaguely, how terrified she and Sora felt whilst trapped in such a monstrous beast. "My grandmother used to tell me that all the time."

"Grandmother?" Axel asked. Kairi didn't say anything, only nodding soberly. "Sorry," he said after an awkward moment, "I didn't mean to kill your mood."

"It's okay," she chirped, "you didn't." Still, it seemed as if there was nothing more to say. The whale had dissolved, scattered into a sea of clouds.

"Say, Kairi," Axel began, "have I ever told you why the sun sets red?"

* * *

The next morning began like any other. Kairi dressed, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and combed her hair before descending the nearest staircase where she would normally find Merlin waiting in the open dining room with breakfast on the table, prepared by the various animate objects under his employment. But things took a different turn today; the foyer didn't smell of tea and toast, the dining room doors were closed, and Kairi found nothing and no one on the other side of the double doors.

"He's outta town," Axel said, coming out of the kitchen with a slice of burnt bread. "This was on the table," he said, handing her a piece of parchment paper.

 _My dear pupils-_

 _It appears there are urgent matters that need my attention abroad._

 _As a safety precaution, I cannot disclose my whereabouts._

 _I shall return shortly, I trust you two will get along until then._

 _Eat, get enough rest, and don't dilly dally!_

 _Resume with your daily exercises as if I'm there. I'll know if you don't._

 _Be well, my lads._

 _-Merlin_

 _"_ Hm _,"_ She contemplated, returning the letter, "I wonder what was so urgent." When she pulled her arm back, a sharp pain pierced through her armpit to her shoulder blade. "Ouch," she winced.

"Something wrong?"

"It's my swinging arm, I think I slept on it." She said, rolling her elbow back in circles. "My cure spells work only so well, best when conjured right after taking a hit, but they don't quite get to these chronic aches." She relaxed her arm and shook it off. "It's not that bad though."

"Here, try this," Axel said, pulling a green vile from his coat pocket. "But don't drink too much, it might make you nauseous. It's pretty strong stuff, meant to be shared." Kairi accepted the potion, uncorked the stopper, and took a tiny sip. The pain instantly melted away. Kairi studied the label, _Mega-Elixir_. It must have cost a small fortune.

"Okay, seriously, how are you so rich?" She asked incredulously.

As part of their welcoming package, Merlin had given both of them a neatly organized basket containing the essentials; two potions, one hi-potion, one ether, one elixir and a pouch containing 40 munny. The master always halted his attacks long before either of them were in fatal danger, and healed them frequently throughout the rigorous exercises. Their sore muscles and aching joints that persisted afterward, however, had to be attended to themselves. Both Kairi and Axel's supply was gone by the end of the first week.

"I know how big a payout the master's fake heartless give." She said, folding her arms and tilting her head to the side.

"Yes, but I bet you don't know how much _real_ heartless give."

"Real heartless?" Kairi stiffened. "Where?"

"Relax, they're not here, but there are a few in the _real_ Twilight Town."

"What?" Kairi asked, "How did you?" Kairi looked around her, as if someone may be eavesdropping. "When?" She whispered.

"Weekends, before you guys get up."

"Is that allowed?"

"Haven't asked. Easiest just to assume it is."

"Well if there are heartless there, it might be dangerous! Do you know _why_ the heartless are there? Someone could be summoning them!"

"Easy! The place has always been infested with something or another. Nothing your miracle worker boyfriend could change."

"He's not my..." Kairi evaded it, "Are you sure it's safe?"

"Yes." He affirmed. "No one can track me while I have this on," he pulled on his collar, "and I stick to the woods. Tons of heartless, they don't even see it coming." He grinned. Kairi thought a moment.

"Can I come?" She asked.

"I don't know about that," he replied, rubbing his temple.

"Oh come on!" She said, determined. "You said yourself that it was safe."

"Safe for me. I don't know if it would be safe for you." Kairi smirked.

"Easiest just to assume it is."


	6. Rebuild

"Welcome to the Hollow- er, I mean uh… The Radiant Garden Restoration Committee!" Cid accosted from his seat at the large computer monitor. Personally, Riku had always preferred the name 'Hollow Bastion' -it felt darker, more mysterious, and it had a better ring to it, but that was just him.

"Long time, no see!" piped Yuffie.

He had met most of the committee separately in Traverse Town in what seemed like ages ago. He had been acquainted with Cid the most, going to his shop often for supplies. Riku didn't have the best attitude back then, he hoped they wouldn't remember.

"Were were so glad to hear Mr. Cranky Pants made it out of the Realm of Darkness alright," Yuffie continued, "Sora told us the whole story!"

"And Merlin," added Aerith, "He filled us in on the rest. We were relieved to find out the three of you made it home safe."

The three of us. Home. Safe. Those sorts of words were always thrown around so casually.

"Sora's told me so much about all of you," Riku replied politely. "I'm- I'm so sorry for what I did back then." Regardless of the extent of their knowledge, Riku needed a clean slate. He didn't want his past to terrorize him for the rest of his life. He had disrupted these peoples' home, served the powers that had torn it away from them, then he didn't stick around to help rebuild.

"Riku is a Keyblade Master now! Fully appointed by Master Yen Sid himself!" Mickey cut in, forever his fierce little defender. The room awed and then all eyes were on him again. Riku cleared his throat.

"We're here on an assignment." Said Riku.

"We know. Merlin said you'd be showing up soon." A tall, stoic, brunette man with a long, foreign weapon slung over his shoulder explained as he emerged from a shadowed corner. "I don't think we've met," he said to Riku, "The name's Leon."

"Riku," Riku replied with a nod.

"Whaddya mean Leon? What did Merlin say?" Asked the king.

"Is he here?" Implored Riku. Maybe Kairi would be, too. It would be good to see her. She had been extremely nervous when they had left her with Lea and Merlin.

"No, he left over a week ago," answered Yuffie. "You guys need to find a way into the Dark Realm, right?" The wizard was quite sharp, Riku realized.

"Yea…" Riku said. "We need to speak to-"

"Ienzo. He's in the corridors beneath the castle, Ansem the Wise's old study. Take the shortcut through the restoration site," said Yuffie. "Here, he left this for you." Yuffie pulled out an enchanted parchment and handed it to Riku. "He said it will help guide you through your perilous journey."

"Wow, ha-Ha! I guess we're pretty predictable," said Mickey, scratching his head.

"I like your clothes," Aerith complimented as she eyed them up and down.

"Yea, looking sharp," added Cid with an unsubtle smirk.

"Very spiffy," Yuffie agreed, eyes smiling and covering her mouth with her hand.

"Gee, thanks!" Mickey responded, obliviously.

* * *

Gray clouds painted the consistently overcast sky. _Radiant Garden_. Sure. He supposed the plants in the said garden would receive enough moisture, but as for sunlight, he was dubious. He couldn't believe the vibrant people to come out of such a dreary place- Lea, Diz, Kairi- it was almost enough to make Riku wonder why he ever wanted to leave his beautiful, sunny island. There was a certain charm to the place, he supposed, sidestepping the rubble. Determination among its citizens had fortified the town. They were stubborn to stay, relentless in their attempts to rebuild to an uncertain former glory, and determined to survive time and time again.

Mickey led the way, taking the alleyways and leaping over dangerously exposed pipelines. Through a haphazard construction tunnel, the large castle facade snuck up alongside them, protruding high into the violet, foreboding sky.

"It's this way," said Mickey, glancing in both directions, looking as serious as a mouse king could, before approaching the ramp. Riku followed closely behind down the entryway and into the corridors. It was a maze to Riku, but the king charged onward confidently, rounding each corner so fast that Riku practically had to step on his tail to keep up. They finally came upon an entrance where multiple hallways intersected, at the end was a gold door with a symbolic crown engraved into it.

 _Kingdom Hearts._

Riku stood motionless and let Mickey open the door. Within was a disheveled round study chamber with bookshelves lining most of the wall, long lost to the scholars and the vultures. There was a door opened to the left side connecting to an opaque glass pathway that led out of sight. The mouse was already scurrying through the office and around the corner by the time Riku had fully stepped inside.

Measured, Riku strolled around and absorbed the room, reading the various writings on the wall and examining the collection of hearts floating in goo, as well as other unrelated items and keepsakes. The books looked as if they had been rifled through, and the stench of darkness lingered in the air.

"Riku! Over here!" The king called. Riku followed the voice into the grey corridor. The hallway opened up into a massive locker, used for some unidentifiable reason, though Riku could probably guess. Riku stopped and stared, awestruck. "Riku, you know Ienzo." Mickey took his hand and led him into the conjoining laboratory, where a boy about his age awaited in a white coat instead of black, his blue bangs styled to one side, obstructing half of his face, while one cerulean eye followed Riku.

"So nice to see you again, Riku," greeted Ienzo cordially.

"Yourself as well." Riku's eyes went about the space. "You seem to be doing alright."

"Well enough," he replied. "I'm happy to be of service to two keyblade masters." Riku nodded. It had dawned on him earlier that morning that they had little to no sufficient reason to trust Ienzo. Mickey had assured Riku of his loyalty, but Riku was still apprehensive about the situation. All that they knew about him for certain was that he was there, in the lab, when he was resurrected, and that he hadn't left much since. He had taken shelter with the Restoration Committee when the Organization had raided the study, but that could have been a ruse. Seeing his eye was not yellow certainly helped Ienzo's case, but, most of all, Riku trusted his king.

"And we're so glad you could join us!" Chimed Mickey. "Have you gotten any closer to figuring out what the organization was looking for?"

"It's unclear," Ienzo answered, "the data on Ansem the Wise's computer was tampered with. Nothing about Castle Oblivion or the origin of darkness within the heart remain. Even my own personal notes were stolen. However, files related to the origin of nobodies, the Princesses of Heart, and the Heart of All Worlds have also been opened. Whatever it is they're after, it's something that exists outside of the Organization's current plan, some knowledge they're trying desperately to recover."

"Do you think we should be taking this more seriously?" Inquired Riku.

"I don't see how you would right now. Your mission today seems severe enough," Ienzo remarked.

"He's right, Riku. Best to focus on what we can do now," Mickey agreed.

"Right. So, how do we get into the Realm of Darkness?" Riku asked. The single blue-eye stared at him blankly before Ienzo smiled thoughtfully.

"Well, how did you get there the first time?"

"We can't take that route." Mickey expressed determinedly.

"We were hoping you might have another solution." Riku implored. Ienzo folded one arm across his torso and rested his chin on his palm.

"You want me to activate a dark portal, is that it?" Ienzo observed.

"If that's not too much trouble," Mickey verified, "Lea was able to use one. Saved Sora and the rest of us."

"Couldn't Lea, then, have opened one for you?" Inquired Ienzo.

"He's busy right now," Riku replied, vaguely.

"Gosh, Ienzo, we were sure hoping you could help us with this. We're running out of options, and we can't risk bringing Lea out of hiding just yet," said Mickey.

"Hm. Has he jilted that many people?" Ienzo japed. Mickey attempted to say something, but Ienzo continued. "It's alright. Merlin told me this would happen. I'll see what I can do." Ienzo looked down at his attire. "Give me a moment." He turned and left the laboratory.

Suddenly aimless and terribly anxious, Riku reached for his phone and fiddled with the buttons on the screen until he found himself dialing one of five numbers that had been programmed in.

"Hello? Riku!" Sora beamed colorfully.

"Hey Sora," Riku smiled. His best friend's steadfast innocence brought comfort to Riku in the bleakest of times.

"Wow, I can see you so clearly!"

"Hiya Riku!" Goofy greeted from the corner.

"How was your trip?" Donald quacked from the other corner. "Is the king with you?"

"Still haven't left yet," Riku replied.

"Hey ya fellas!" Mickey leapt to greet the screen. Riku rose his phone and angled it downwards so they both could be seen.

"Aw." The trio expressed disappointedly in unison.

"Hey! Give us a break, it's not that easy getting into the Realm of Darkness." Riku said. He could hear Ienzo shuffling around the office. "How have you guys been? Saving the world still all it's cracked up to be?"

"For sure!" Sora said giddily. "In the last world, we were TOYS! Toys, Riku! Have you ever heard of such a-"

"I'll tell you what I told Merlin, I can only guarantee your passage to the realm in-between. From there, you'll be left to navigate on your own." Ienzo interrupted, strolling back into the lab wearing his black Organization uniform.

"Merlin?" Sora asked, "Merlin is there?"

"No, he's not." Riku replied, firmly, but not unkindly. He pulled the phone down to eye-level. "He was gone before we got here, apparently he knew we'd come by looking for Ienzo. He left us a sort-of legible map of the dark world."

"Sounds like he's really on top of things," Sora admired. "Did he mention where he was off to? Maybe he can help us track down the other Organization members before they commit any more heinous acts."

"Oh yea?" Riku smirked, fighting the urge to roll his eyes back into his skull.

"Yea! And his magic is really advanced, I bet if I learned a little more from him…"

"Sora?"

"What?"

"Let it go."

"What? What did I say?"

"What's Kairi supposed to do while her teacher is off training with some other student?"

"Well, I mean, she doesn't have to be-"

"Sora, she's fine, you're fine, I'm fine, we'll all be fine. Just, let her be. Let her get stronger on her own. Was she always around you when you were first learning to use the keyblade?"

"Well, actually, yea-"

"Okay, never mind. Look, Sora-"

"Riku…" Sora zeroed in on him, choosing his word carefully. "Axel _abducted_ Kairi-"

"Yes, and Lea saved our lives."

"Yea, but"-

"Sora," he had to be stern, "don't do anything reckless." Though fiercely protective and given the ethical high ground, Riku was still only human, and detested seeing his friends' disappointment.

"Fine." Sora said, blowing his bangs out of his face. "I won't do anything reckless."

"She should be quite powerful," Ienzo interjected. Riku turned the camera towards the hooded figure, deflecting. "A pure heart of light and a keyblade master, and she's under Merlin's tutelage." Riku was dismayed to realize the precious pieces of information that had incidentally been divulged.

"Oh…" Sora uttered, recognition dawning on him. "I-Enz-O," he said slowly, "right."

"Charmed as always, Roxas," Ienzo's one eye scrutinized Sora's wide, baffled ones, "if you can, indeed, hear me." Sora stared silently a moment longer.

"Did you know Roxas well?" Sora asked carefully.

"Not very well. I was assigned to Castle Oblivion shortly after his induction into the Organization," Ienzo said, "He was an innocent one, that much was clear." The turn in conversation was making Riku uncomfortable. Of course, Roxas was innocent, he was part of Sora, what did that have to do with anything?

"Sora," Riku said, directing the camera back at himself "whatever you do, whatever you find out, do not open your heart under any circumstance, you got it? Promise me you won't look for Kairi and you won't stab yourself… or let anyone stab you, okay? Promise?"

"Terribly sorry, I don't mean to rush you, but I do loathe wearing this thing again." Ienzo said from behind him. Sudden dread crept over Riku as Ienzo summoned the darkness. Ienzo groaned as inky tendrils dispersed into an onyx abyss, beckoning him once again to the world below.

"I promise," agreed Sora.

"Let's hurry, Riku!" The little mouse cheered. "My sincerest thanks, Ienzo," he said, skipping happily into the black void.

"The darkness… It's too.." Ienzo grunted, clutching his free hand to his chest. The debilitating nature of his dark power was proof that he was no longer enslaved to it, but Riku himself had never experienced such strain as Ienzo was appearing to.

"Is he okay?" Asked Sora, panic-stricken.

"Riku, now!" Cried Ienzo. Riku peered back into the monitor.

"I have to go," he said, approaching the portal.

"Be safe, Riku" Sora's large blue eyes were filled with doubt. Riku wished he could bring him assurance in some way. Usually, Sora had to convince Riku of a brighter tomorrow, it wasn't supposed to be the other way around.

"You too, Sora," he said, pressing the end button as the darkness, once again, enveloped him entirely.


	7. Reconnect

Sora continued staring at his phone, letting the end tone ring out and the screen fade to black.

"He'll be okay," consoled Donald.

"Yea," Sora agreed with a smile, "he always is." He stored his phone in his pocket and grabbed the wheel of the ship. "So, where to next?"

"We have to load up on supplies. Maybe we can bring some of these ingredients back to Remy and get more items," Donald suggested.

"So, Twilight Town?" Sora asked.

"I don't know if we should-" Goofy began.

"Yea! Let's do it! Plus, I can show Pence the games we've collected," decided Sora. "And besides, it happens to be very close."

"That's because you've been heading straight for it since we left the toy world," noted Goofy. Sora glanced down at the coordinates.

"Oh," Sora tittered, "I guess I have." He was constantly being drawn back to Twilight Town, one way or another. "Donald does have a point, though," he concluded.

Sora didn't fight it. Sure, being there made him feel a little sad, but lately, many things did. There was a strange comfort in the city's sweet melancholia, a safe haven for lost hearts and broken things.

"You're not tryin' to do any of that stuff Riku just warned you about, are ya Sora?" Goofy asked.

"What?" Sora asked indignantly. "Will you guys just trust me? I'm not trying to do anything reckless. I made a promise."

* * *

They finished their errands in record time, visiting the bistro first, followed by the Moogle shop, before finishing off the day at the armory, where they had spent most of their munny. They found the usual crew hanging in the Tram Common, killing time and goofing off with little to no care, just like always. Just like they were supposed to.

"We're so glad you're here!" Cheered Olette.

"Yea, we were just about to head over to that Haunted Mansion," added Pence. "There has reportedly been some unusual activity there lately, and people have been spotting men in black leather coats all over town."

"The Organization!" Exclaimed Sora.

"Wak!" Donald quacked simultaneously.

"You should beware of those guys, they're bad news," Sora asserted.

"We figured," said Hayner "Kairi was taken by one of them right in front of us, remember?"

"Right," said Sora, "Actually, about that guy- he's alright. I mean, he's good. He's on our side now."

"That's right! He and Kairi are learnin' to use the keyblade together!" Added Goofy. Hayner, Pence, and Olette were all rendered speechless.

"He has a keyblade?" Questioned Hayner.

"And you trust him with Kairi?" Olette probed.

"Wait a second, _Kairi_ has a keyblade?" Demanded Pence. Sora held up his index finger and opened his mouth.

"Excuse us one moment," said Sora, pulling Donald and Goofy into a side huddle. "Let's try not to be too loose-lipped about our secrets, okay?"

"It's okay," said Olette over his shoulder, giggling softly. "You can trust us."

"What, do they give hand things out in the cradle where you come from?" Pence mumbled.

"Maybe you should try whispering if you don't want to be loose-lipped," Donald quipped.

"Well, I guess if Kairi's okay with him…" Hayner said. Sora spun around.

"What, her word is good enough but not mine?" Sora teased.

"Do you really want us to answer that?" Asked Pence. Sora snickered, the rest joined in after him.

"Listen, you guys, I really think you should stay here while we check out the Mansion. If the Organization is here, you don't want to be caught up in the crossfire," Sora said with authority.

"Aw, no fair! If you hadn't of gotten here we would have been there already," Pence complained.

"Yea, and you already would have been in need of our rescue!" Argued Donald.

"Hm. Speak for yourself, Duck. I bet I could take you, one on one," Hayner challenged.

"You wanna try it pal?" Donald countered, readying his battle stance.

"Whoa there!" A voice cut in before Sora could. A round man ran up to the group and keeled over, gasping for air. "Nobody is going to be fighting here. If you wanna struggle, bring it to the Sandlot."

"Aw, man, how do you find me every time?" Hayner barked, turning and kicking an imaginary rock to his side with full momentum.

"It's my job to make sure troublemakers don't litter our calm streets with violence. Bring that violence back where it belongs, to the struggle arena!" Asserted the gentlemen, standing upright. He was a brunette man with brown eyes and a brown mustache who wore a green shirt paired with a yellow vest that was too small for him. Sora recognized the man, but his name eluded him.

"So, you're saying, you're stalking us," challenged Hayner.

"N- no, what I'm saying is-"

"What I think he's saying is that he always knows when more than three kids are loitering around the center of town, am I right?" Pence guessed.

"That's right," Seifer charged while approaching the growing lot, shadowed by his hollow henchmen, plus Vivi. "And because the Disciplinary Committee is on it." His scowl locked onto Sora. "Heard you were back."

"What do _you_ want Seifer?" Confronted Hayner.

"Word around town is these newbies here have something to do with the guys in the black hoods," Seifer said, glaring at Sora. The pudgy man took the moment to quietly slip away, plainly intimidated by the horde of contentious teenagers.

"And what, you're here to interrogate them?" Olette sneered.

"What are people saying about the black hoods?" Sora asked, ignoring the enmity.

"What's it to you?" Asked Seifer.

"Suspicious," Fuu accused.

"Yea, it's like every time someone sees a black hood, everyone knows you'll show up, ya know?" Said Rai, shaking his fist.

"It's a lot to get into," Sora hesitated, fighting the urge to meet hostility with hostility. "Seifer, right?" Sora tried one of his most charismatic smiles.

"Yea?" Said Seifer.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot. I'm Sora, this is-"

"Like I care."

"Okay then." Sora gave up on the antagonizer, turning his back on the so-called 'Disciplinary Committee,' and addressed Olette. "What exactly has the Organization done?"

"Nothing, exactly," Olette replied.

"Hey! I will not be ignored!" Growled Seifer.

"No one has been able to talk to any of them," Olette continued, ignoring Seifer. "Everyone knows each other here, so they're scary for that alone, and they've frightened a few people by disappearing into black holes like the one we saw."

"They also say they have this weird, uncomfortable energy about them, and it doesn't help that they also look so menacing," Pence added.

"Don't act like you don't hear me!" Seifer snarled.

"Uh, fellas?" Goofy interjected, pointing at a hooded figure standing next to the alleyway. Everybody gasped. The figure spotted Sora and sprinted toward the tunnels.

"Hey! Stop right there!" Sora called as he, Donald, and Goofy began the chase, instantly dropping the heated conversation and the disgruntled rivals who remained hollering behind them. His companions followed the mysterious man below ground. Sora, instead, opted for Station Heights, whizzing past the preoccupied citizens and dodging the playing children. He turned left for the alleyway where, luckily, he caught the man slipping out of the forgotten tunnel outlet.

"Nice try," Sora said, pointing his keyblade directly at the figure's obscured face. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" The unidentified man lifted his hood, revealing a mop of red spikes. "Axel? I mean, Lea?" Sora stood up straight and disarmed himself.

"Lea?" Echoed Donald breathlessly, trailing up the tunnel entrance behind Goofy.

"Hey guys, long time no see!" Lea said nonchalantly.

"What are you doing here, Lea? Aren't you supposed to be with Kairi and Merlin?" Asked Goofy.

"Is this the kind of greeting I get? No hello? No nice to see you, glad you're well, how's the keyblade treating ya?

"Why did you run?" Asked Sora instead.

"I… I wasn't sure it was best if your friends there saw me." Lea was dissembling. Sora narrowed his eyes.

"Surely Merlin doesn't think _this_ would be the safest place to hide her?" Sora said, a shift in his tone. Lea released an exhausted sigh.

"Of course not," Lea said, sincerity in his expression.

"Then, what are you doing here?" Asked Sora.

"Heard there might be some black cloaks still sniffing around this old joint. I came to see what all the fuss was about," Lea replied coolly.

"Have you considered the fact that _you_ may be that black cloak?" Asked Sora.

"Heh. Gee, you may be right," Lea said, scratching the back of his neck.

"So, uh…" Sora struggled, searching for a casual, dispassionate way to approach the obvious subject, "how's Kairi doing? Is she safe?"

"Kairi's great!" Lea replied a little too quickly. "She's a natural, misses you terribly, and she has no reason not to feel safe!"

"She told you she missed me?" Sora said, thrown off track momentarily.

"Well, not in words, per say… Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I actually gotta get back." Lea summoned a dark portal, biting his lip as he tried to mask the discomfort.

"Why did you run if you could do that?" Goofy asked, his tone devoid of any misgivings that Sora may have been feeling.

"Don't wanna scare people," Lea said. "Later," he saluted them before disappearing into the other realm.

"That was… that was weird, right?" Sora asked after the darkness had completely evaporated. Donald shrugged and shook his head.

"I think you may have just spooked him, Sora," Goofy said.

"Yea, you were all over him with those questions," Donald added. "Maybe if you weren't so intense, he wouldn't have acted so strangely."

 _"I wanted to see Roxas. He… was the only one that I liked."_

"Maybe…" Sora said, not entirely convinced.


	8. Remember

"What are you doing now?" Kairi asked, not for the first time.

"Making sure we can't be traced by Xehanort or anyone else," answered Axel, an edge in his tone. He typed hastily, the numerous monitors around the room displaying a language that Kairi didn't comprehend, filled with numbers and foreign symbols. Kairi had goosebumps from the draft and stood off to the side holding her forearms, complaining only a reasonable amount.

"Is that going to take long?"

"Got somewhere else to be?" He swiveled in his chair and faced her. "This is kind of important. Being tracked by the Organization sort of defeats the purpose of all this." He waved his hand around in the air. "You realize that, right?"

"It's just a little claustrophobic in here, isn't it?" Axel shrugged emphatically and returned to work.

She didn't normally have a problem with tight spaces, yet Kairi couldn't get out of the basement soon enough. Something about the place was unsettling; its cold, clinical, unforgiving atmosphere in complete discord with the warmth of the charming, vintage city.

"Done," he said, standing and crossing the room. "Come on. Hurry." They stepped under the beam, standing side by side. Kairi held her breath, always apprehensive during this part, and grabbed Axel's hand for reassurance as the laser transported them instantaneously.

The real world's basement looked more or less the same as their data world's, save for the lack of Merlin's tidy upkeep. Axel jumped out first, scanning the room, Kairi stepped out gingerly after him.

"Okay, you stay here," he said, "I'm going to make sure the town is clear of any threats."

"What? That could take half the day! I don't want to be stuck down here alone."

"I gotta be sure it's safe. Look, it's tough, but we can't risk anything happening to you. Merlin would kill me, or, the Organization will kill everyone... either way, keeping you around is at least better than death, I think."

"I get it, Axel," she snapped. "But, say, if someone does come for me; how am I supposed to get away if I'm cornered in the basement?" Kairi challenged.

"Okay, okay, fine. Don't leave the basement unless you absolutely have to, and definitely, don't leave the mansion! I'll be back as soon as soon as I can."

* * *

About three and a half minutes after Axel had left, Kairi decided she absolutely had to leave the basement. She ambled through the automatic sliding door and climbed the stairs into the dusty library. Cobwebs crowded the corners of the ceiling, and a significant number of tomes were absent from the shelves, leaving many collections incomplete.

 _"There's a certain promise I made you."_

Something pulled at her chest as she exited the library and descended the East staircase. Her feet were itching to carry her out the front door, far away from this prison. Pedestals and fragmented sculptures dotted the foyer, the only ones intact being the unicorn sculptures that paralleled the ones in the data town.

 _"It's a little late for the witch to grow a conscious."_

Teleportation gave her migraines, she suspected as she examined the gray, unkept statuettes for any inconspicuous discrepancies.

 _"Isn't that right, Namine?"_

Kairi whirled around. That one she heard, without a doubt.

"Who goes there?" She said aloud, producing less sound than she had attempted. The ache in her head was now a dull throb. Trembling, she glanced through the green film that clouded the glass courtyard doors, but she was all alone.

 _"I've been alone for so long."_

"Namine?" Kairi turned toward the front door, taking tiny steps into the center of the foyer. Ghosts haunted this mansion, Pence had been right, but not in the way he had imagined.

 _"Lies, lies, all lies."_

No, not Namine, that one was… who was that?

 _"I promised-I promised to protect you! You have to believe me!_ "

"Sora," she said, assured. The voices beckoned her from the top left corner of the hallway, where her room normally was. She was escorted upstairs, entranced and bewildered by the phenomenon.

 _"Even if you come for me, what then?"_

Kairi shuddered, halting at the door. The fear was suffocating. There may be no going out once she was in, as irrational as that thought seemed. She already lacked an exit strategy, her body was only capable of moving forward. Finding a hint of courage, she twisted the door handle slowly and stepped inside.

Ease came fast. She was home now… somehow… alone again and safe in her room.

 _"You and Kairi smell the same."_

But it wasn't her room. It looked little like the space Merlin had arranged for her, save for the pristine white walls and broad window. Instead of a bed, the centerpiece was a glossy, white long table with two white chairs placed on the far ends. On top of the table was a white vase holding white flowers, a sketchbook, and a tin of crayons.

 _"Nothing else really matters anymore."_

Drawn images, some unfamiliar and some lifted from her own memory, sprinkled the walls and littered the otherwise immaculate floor. She studied a single abandoned image on the table. It was a drawing of her two years ago, and Sora, and Riku, and-

 _"I won't hurt Sora! I won't do it!"_

 _"You were never supposed to exist, Roxas."_

The ache she had been managing evolved into an unbearable agony, seizing her joints as Kairi cried out. She fell to her knees and squeezed her eyes shut as heavy tears rolled down her cheeks. Voices continued to echo off the walls, relentless, unconcerned with her anguish.

 _"Don't cry, please."_

 _"How can you even say such a thing…?"_

"Kairi?" A voice she knew was calling her name. No, not _her_ name but her name- her real name. He was talking to her. He who knew who she was. She was not supposed to be here. This was not her place.

 _"Is that your shield? Won't do you any good, I'm afraid."_

 _"Make me like I was."_

Forsaken, enslaved, the dared hopes, the moments of pure despair; Kairi could feel all of it. She keeled over, her hair balled in her fists, sobbing madly.

 _"You won't disappear! You'll be whole!"_

"Kairi?" Footsteps from the hall reverberated off the cold marble floor. Choking, she tried to scream, tried to make any sound at all, tried to stop the waves from crashing over her. He was near, she could feel him. She was drowning, but he would find her. He would always come for her.

But the world was slipping away now. Her eyes would not open. Her muscles refused to respond to her command. Her lungs filled with salt water. There was no time, never any time.

"Kairi!"

She was falling…

…falling backward…

…deep beneath the sea.

 _"Till then, I'll be in your heart."_


	9. Resplendent

Paper lights floated into the night sky, illuminating the shadow that darkened the majestic kingdom. Goofy stared mesmerized at the reflection in the water, tuning out most of the bickering as he was well accustomed to.

"…you'll just end up setting the whole thing on fire!" Sora was saying.

"Hmph. Look who's talking! You're the one who is not used to their new powers! You'll end up freezing it or something!" Donald retaliated.

"Why don't we use a match?" Goofy questioned optimistically.

"We don't have matches!" Donald said, stomping his foot.

"Are ya sure?" Goofy said, holding up a matchstick with a triumphant smile. "I bought these with the lantern!" Goofy knew his friends well, and matches had been displayed on the counters of the festival stands so folks wouldn't forget. Sora and Donald muttered their agreement disappointedly, fierce competitors regardless of how insignificant the reward. Sora held the lantern and Goofy lit the match. "All righty, all together now, on the count of three!" He held the beacon out for Donald, who reluctantly accepted.

"One.. two… three!" They said in unison, throwing the lantern into the air. It was quiet for once as they watched in a daze as their token floated off the pier and over the water to join its brothers and sisters. The darkened night sky was rudely awakened by the intrusion of the brilliant light. No magic had been needed for the event, and yet the result was pure enchantment.

"I hope Rapunzel is having a good birthday," Sora said after some time.

"Aw, I'm sure she's having the time of her life!" Replied Goofy.

"Yea, and I'm sure being around Flynn doesn't hurt, either!" Donald said. Goofy watched Sora and waited for the faithful blush, but it never came. People applauded and cheered in the town center, only distantly audible over the gentle crashing of waves against the docks.

"Hopefully she won't have to go back tomorrow," Sora said quietly, staring at Rapunzel and Finn's boat in the distance.

"Everybody's gotta go home sometime," said Goofy.

"Yea, I suppose," said Sora, the corner of his mouth curling up tightly. "Do you think her mother will allow him to visit?"

"I don't see why not. Eugene's a great guy!" Goofy replied.

"Yea, and a criminal," Donald noted cynically.

"Oh, uh, right," Goofy replied, at a loss.

"Well, at least she got her dream," Sora concluded. Donald and Goofy continued looking up at the sky as Sora gazed across the gleaming lake. "We should give them some time to themselves. Come on."

With that, they turned, following the cobblestone avenue straight up into the marketplace, passing the clinging couples, both young and old, and the dazzled children on their parents' shoulders, pointing and chattering happily, their eyes wide and wistful. They came upon a food stand where they purchased some grilled skewers and fresh apple juice before finding a spot to sit on the ground near the fountain, their view of the spectacle above unobstructed in the open plaza.

"We should do this at home," Sora said amidst the low murmur of the audience, soft acoustic music playing somewhere nearby, "people on the island would love it."

"Maybe you could bring it up to your friends," Goofy suggested, "I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to pull off."

"Hm," Sora smiled contemplatively, "someday."

"I bet Kairi would find this romantic," Donald hinted with a smug look. Sora didn't take the bait, however, and simply continued to beam upward in his pensive state.

The boy appeared to be doing better lately, to Goofy's great relief. Of course, there were always dips in his mood, especially while traveling in-between worlds and left with only uncertain farewells and lingering threats from vile Organization members. Sora had every right to his emotions, Goofy believed. So long as he didn't let those bad feelings swallow him whole, he would be all right. He was still the same ol' Sora while befriending new people, he just needed a little bit of fun or a boost of encouragement every now and then. Goofy never wanted to step over any boundaries, Sora was always sort of tight-lipped about what made him most vulnerable, only absentmindedly letting things slip. Still, Goofy wished he could be of more help to this young fellow he cared for immensely. Seeing Sora contended, even for a moment, brought light into an old dog's heart amidst such turbulent times.

Golden hazes that lit the streets faded as the lanterns gathered out of sight somewhere off in the lake. The celebration was as lovely as it was fleeting. Many of the citizens dispersed, either returning to their festivities in taverns or retiring to their quaint, cozy homes to put the children to bed.

"Should we go check on Rapunzel and Flynn?" Donald asked.

"I don't know, should we?" Sora responded with a smirk.

"What?" Quacked Donald.

"Just kidding. Let's go."

* * *

They returned to shore the way they came, the same buzzing, glowing street now quiet and dim as lamplighters extinguished the street lights one by one. Upon reaching the docks, however, the mood shifted when they found a panicked Maximus waiting for them. The horse tried desperately to communicate, neighing and trotting around in circles and throwing his head about.

"Easy there, boy!" Sora soothed. He grabbed the reigns and looked into his eyes, reassuringly stroking his mane. "What's the matter?" Maximus gestured towards the water.

Barely visible on the opposite shore, five palace guardsmen on horseback were arresting the burly twins who had been accomplices of Eugene. The boat that Rapunzel and Eugene had sailed off in lay abandoned in the sand.

"What's going on?" Sora asked. Maximus rose up on two feet and whined loudly before taking off towards the gates. "Wait! Maximus!"

They followed Maximus as he galloped over the bridge, sprinting as fast as they were capable to keep up with the militant mammal. Goofy was also a militant mammal, but Maximus made him feel rather green. Reaching the dirt path on the opposite end, the horse went left and vanished into the trees. The trio halted to catch their breath only halfway down the lengthy overpass.

"It looks like he's headed towards the Ugly Duckling!" Sora shouted.

"Sora! We gotta find Rapunzel! Marluxia could be after her!" Goofy reminded urgently.

"Miss me?" Marluxia's voice rang out before his body materialized from behind. "Sure, the frivolous boy may be hanged upon the morrow, but don't worry, your little golden friend is safe with her mother," He snapped his fingers, summoning an army of nobodies that crowded the forest, "for now." The enemies emerged from ghostly shells, vacantly, ready to fight mindlessly upon command. "We'll just have to see how strong her heart really is." Sora charged forward, but Marluxia had been anticipating that and vanished just as Sora swung, the keyblade slicing through the open air.

Unspoken fears over the Princesses had plagued Goofy, as he was sure it did Sora and Donald. Larxene had escaped without Anna in tow but remained at large. Marluxia had said nothing about the seven, though Sora had discussed Rapunzel's distinct light with Goofy earlier that very day. The heartless and nobodies did seem to be drawn to her. There was no way to be certain without outside help. Regardless, an innocent girl was in danger, and that was exactly the sort of thing that Goofy and his buddies were there for.

"Come on! We gotta hurry!" Sora said, easily slashing through a dusk that had gotten the jump on him.

"Wait! What about Flynn?" Donald asked, casting magnega and then thundaga to deal with their immediate surroundings. The three exchanged worried glances. It was too great a judgment to make.

"If the Organization gets the Princesses…" Sora started, "But if Eugene…" he folded a hand over his mouth in thought, "…no. We can't let either happen." Sora threw his hand down and stood alert, Goofy followed the motion.

"What are we gonna do?" Goofy asked, saluting. Sora considered.

"He won't be tried until tomorrow. We have a little time." Sora faced the forest, and Goofy watched his eyes as he rediscovered the strength and determination within as he had many times before. Gray, lifeless beings were springing up by the dozen and peeking out through the trees, taunting, provoking a fight. "Not much time, but when do we ever?"


	10. Resilience

"We couldn't have risked all thirteen coming down on the two of us." Mickey said.

"But Ienzo-"

"They can't track him, and they aren't trying to. They're watching you and I, so we have to be quick and very, very careful."

"Couldn't I have just worn the coat?" Riku asked once again. Mickey sighed.

"It was what Master Yen Sid commanded."

"You are a king."

"And as a king, I have to listen to my most trusted advisors, or else I wouldn't be a good king."

It was impossible to know how long they had been walking or debating. The concept of time was warped within the Realm of Darkness, but Riku was sure they had gone through the identical conversation at least twice already, never fully reaching an agreement or a satisfying conclusion.

Sora should have been there with him, a full-fledged keyblade master. He would have followed the same path Riku did if the roles had been reversed. Things were supposed to be different... and they were, but it wasn't what Riku had hoped for. He didn't even know it was hope, he thought it was a given that he'd stay with his friends from the moment he swam up to the surface, Kairi calling his and Sora's name from the distant shore.

He never thought he would need to return here.

"An advisor does not command a king, an advisor advises," Riku sniped childishly, regretting it instantly.

"And a king is not dictated by a stubborn teenager," Mickey rebounded, eyes going wide and his large, gloved hands immediately flying to his mouth. Riku felt a pang in his chest. "Gosh, Riku, I'm-"

"No, don't apologize. You're right. It's not my place to dictate you. I think- I think the darkness might be getting to me, and always needing control is, what you might call a bad habit of mine."

"I think it might be getting to me, too," Mickey said, his magnetic eyes filling with concern. "But having that habit doesn't make you bad, it simply makes you a leader! You trust your own instincts first and foremost, like I do. That can be good, but it can also get you into a lot of trouble, as you've come to learn on your own." Riku nodded, pondering in the back of his mind what his majesty might have done as reckless as Riku had. "I had to learn, too. Master Yen Sid really helped me out of a lot of tight spots, that's why I trust what he says. He's never let me down!"

"What about Aqua?" Riku questioned. Mickey sighed again, heavier this time.

"Riku," his voice was soft as a whisper, "I'm really trying, but…"

"I'm sorry... I really am. I'll stop being such a downer."

"No, no, it's alright to have questions,"

"I shouldn't have brought it up... again... I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me." Riku let his head hang from his tired shoulders.

"No, it's my fault, I shouldn't have-"

"Wait, wait, wait, stop, stop." Riku interrupted, halting on the dirt road. "Do you see what we're doing?"

"Gosh, I know," Mickey replied anxiously. "We can't be angry at each other.. so we take it out on ourselves."

"I don't remember it being this hard before."

* * *

They trudged continuously onwards, cutting through forests of rotten, twisted, charcoal trees, the scraggly branches clawing at their clothes, begging them to halt. They leapt onto unstable rock formations that crumbled under their weight, avoiding the thorny thickets and sinister heartless booby traps until finally, finally, the path became dirt again, and the dome of the world could be seen in the great expanse.

"I do feel sorry about Ienzo…" Mickey started, "Riku... there's something I have to admit."

"You have all my attention," Riku quipped, his heart aimless and careless after the relentless struggle of the day.

"There is another, more important reason why Master Yen Sid and I didn't want you using the power of darkness."

"Mickey," Riku bemoaned, "I thought you weren't going to keep secrets from me anymore."

"I don't think I said that."

"I know," Riku allowed, "I had hoped it was implied."

"I'm sorry Riku. It was my idea to keep it from you. I was worried about how you may react."

"You don't have to worry about me," Riku flared. "I mean," he allowed the words to come to him organically, "I don't want to be kept in the dark to spare my feelings. I'm not a child."

"No, but…" Mickey considered, "you were able to control bad Xehanort's darkness within your heart, but what about your own darkness?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… gosh, Riku, please don't take this the wrong way, but, it was your own darkness that allowed Xehanort into your heart in the first place..."

"And that will never happen again," Riku said firmly.

"I know, but… Riku, you don't belong to the darkness. Xehanort may hold no power over you, but that doesn't mean you're immune to your own heart."

"I don't understand."

"I tried for years to find a safe way to rescue Aqua all by myself, but I couldn't leave my wife or my kingdom anymore without a clue of my whereabouts or when I was to return. That's not what a good king does."

There was a specific shift in their dynamic in that moment, one that was foreign and, if he was completely honest, somewhat uncomfortable to the young Riku, despite his experience.

"And Minnie was always so worried about me… I never got to see her." His ears drooped. "I still don't."

"I'm sorry Mickey," Riku replied earnestly. "I still don't see how this-"

"And when you and Sora didn't show up on your Island with Donald, Goofy, and I, I thought… I was…" Mickey exhaled. Riku decided to let him be. He turned and faced the edge of the world with the tiny ruler. The sky threatened a dawn that it would never yield. "You're incredibly lucky that destiny brought Kairi to you."

"Brought Kairi to Sora, you mean," Riku corrected.

"And you," Mickey replied thoughtfully. "You were both meant to protect her."

"Hmph," sounded Riku, devoid of sentiment, "she doesn't need me to protect her."

"Now that's just not true. Her and Sora both need you, and you need them."

"Yea," Riku considered, "I guess, when you put it like that…"

"What I'm saying is that even those with the power to fight the darkness can still get trapped within it, and if the worst happens, you have to be prepared to guard your heart."

"I don't think I'll ever make that mistake again, Mickey, you don't have to worry." Riku smiled solemnly, wishing his trajectory in life wasn't defined by the mistakes he made as a naive, arrogant child.

"I'm not worried about you anymore than I'd be worried about any other young keyblade wielder." Mickey beamed up at him full of hope and enlightenment. "Well, that's not true, you are one of my best pals."

"You too, Mickey," Riku said, feeling the flicker of light inside himself again. "Hey, what you said before about trusting your advisors? Well, I trust your advice more than anyone's." Riku leaned in to whisper in his ear, as if the anyone in the worlds could hear him. " But don't tell Sora or Kairi that I said that."

"Gosh, ha-Ha" Mickey chuckled, "Surely Sora doesn't think you listen to him." Riku laughed heartily, caught off guard by the ever-so cordial king's candid jape.

"I must be wearing off on you," said Riku.

"Did you see my outfit?" They both cracked up. It was good to laugh, important even.


	11. Restore

The nobodies were more dogged, their assault more ruthless. Only the most powerful spells and attacks were breaking any ground with this new, unfamiliar species. They are the same as Marluxia's attacks, Sora found himself thinking as a scythe sliced into his bare arm. Though he himself had no memory of fighting Marluxia, the nobodies spiked anger in him that he couldn't quench. He reflected the enemy's assault before it found him a second time, causing the creature to reel back while simultaneously lowering its defenses. Sora charged forward, throwing his keyblade down with his entire weight behind it, hacking and slashing frustratedly until, finally, the enemy imploded in a cloud of dark purple dust.

"This is taking too long!" He called to Donald and Goofy, each of them handling their own subsection of the woodlands. Moving only a half-mile by the hour, the sky had shifted from black to a moonless, pre-dawn, deep blue.

"I'm running out of Ether!" Donald shouted, calling down thundaga repeatedly onto his paralyzed targets.

"Here!" Sora shouted. He uncorked a mega-ether and shook the contents into the air. The concoction dispersed, seeking out himself and his friends. "You're out already? You had twenty-seven!"

"How are YOU doing on supplies, Sora?" The short piece of poultry had him there. Sora was down to all of his alpha tonics, relying safely on his shield as much as possible and holding back any extra special stuff. One more hit and he would have to cast another curing agent, he estimated, unless one of his companions had a bit of healing power to offer beforehand.

"I'm out too!" Goofy hollered instead, "And I really could use some help! Somebody! Quick!" Sora let down his barrier, a heartless managing to poison him just as he did, and threw one of his remaining three mega-potions into the air, smashing the glass bottle with a cyclone attack that sent the smaller, pestilent, poisonous enemies spinning away from him.

"We gotta keep moving! It's almost sunrise!" Sora hollered. He had fought for hours through the thick woodlands, through sore muscles and a fatigued mind, the thought of rest too enticing to be lingered on for more than a moment.

"Maximus is back at the castle! We have to find Rapunzel!" Goofy shouted. The horse had raced passed them back towards the bridge hours earlier, followed by a horde of grisly tavern dwellers, giving Sora not even a small sense of reassurance.

"What are we going to do if Marluxia is waiting for us?" Sora asked.

"I think we better call it quits and run straight for the tower," Goofy reasoned, "it looks like they're only after us."

"How does he keep summoning them?" Sora asked, missing the critical spike in his finishing move against another scythed being. Maelstroms of poisoned rose petals encapsulated him as the nobody unleashed its final, desperate attack. Sora shielded, giving himself just enough time to find the right blizzard spell to destroy the monster, a few blood-colored petals slivering into his arm along the way. He grimaced. "The darkness is too strong!"

"Sora!" Donald shouted, using the last bit of his magic power to heal the key bearer. The splinters disappeared, but Sora still felt the poison in his veins. Six more scythes appeared along with an army of neglected plant heartless. "We gotta get outta here!" Donald screamed, charging deeper into the forest. Sora cut his losses and made a dash for it, running alongside his companions until his legs became numb and his lungs turned to steel. Heartless and nobodies alike dogged them at every turn, and the sky had shifted from blue to periwinkle by the time they reached the shady alcove where Rapunzel's tower was veiled behind a curtain of foliage.

"About time," Marluxia's smug voice unnerved Sora as they approached him on the cliffside that overlooked the dell. Sora, Donald and Goofy armed themselves, putting up a facade of fortitude. They had endured worse, but not such relentless brutality over such an extended period. "Just like old times. Seems like you would do anything for a pretty little blonde."

Don't go there, Sora thought, a growl forming somewhere deep inside of him.

"Too bad for your other friend who is to be executed at sunrise. Seems like you've forgotten all about him." Executed. Roxas knew that word. It was written under Marluxia's name in some Organization record book. Reading practice. That much Sora remembered.

"What do you want with Rapunzel?" Sora demanded.

"Nothing, probably. The girl appears to be no one from nowhere. But then again…" Marluxia vanished before their eyes, materializing again behind Sora, "…such was the case of another noteworthy girl, one from a much smaller world." Sora slashed frantically at Marluxia, his keyblade finding nothing but a digitalization that disintegrated randomly into static, translucent cubes. "Not yet, soon," the air around him hissed. Sora was seething. "However, since you were expecting an engagement."

Thunder rumbled the earth beneath their feet and a patch of the ice-blue sky darkened and swelled purple like a grotesque wound. From the dark portal soared a nobody in the form of an angel- a gargantuan, decaying, marble sculpture-like being with black pools for eyes and a mouth that was perpetually screaming. On black leather wings, the figure hovered over the tower, rose its arm slowly and lifted a finger at them, hailing thorns down onto their shields. Sora guarded Donald, who was weak on magic-power and had fewer physical defenses.

"I need more strength," Sora told Donald, a strange, livid calm falling over him. He summoned a form.

"Wait! Sora! The darkness!" Donald yelled.

"Sora!" Goofy warned. "You're too upset right now! Don't-"

* * *

A small girl with bright, familiar blue eyes and silver-gold hair was bound at the far end of a grand, white room lined with columns that held up nothing but the dead, black space above. Between them, swarms of long rose thorns twisted and tangled, shackling the girl's wrists above her head and piercing her delicate, faultless flesh. Sora slashed through the thicket desperately, the room stretching with each step. When he reached the end of the corridor, the innocent creature was gone, as were the thorns. Instead stood Axel before him, fire in his vacant eyes and flames licking his fingertips. He snapped once, apathetically, and Sora looked down to find his clothes aflame. Desperately, he searched for a pool... water flows freely on the island...

 _Fool! you're not on your island! You're... where am I?_

Sora began to shout but produced no sound no matter the effort. The glossy floor shattered beneath him. Harsh winds and the speed of his fall extinguished the flames, but Sora faced a new dilemma. A powerful wave rose up to grab him out of the night sky and topple him beneath the sea. Sora opened his eyes. One by one, the stars blinked out, leaving the world ever darker...

and blacker...

and darker.

 _No!_ Sora tried to scream. _No! No! No!_ He fought the water with the rest of his strength, his arms growing heavy as the sea grew angrier. He nearly reached the surface before another wave took him down and drowned him.

* * *

Blue, sky blue. The same blue that painted the skies at home. Was he home? He didn't remember. A dog and duck stood over him, besides themselves with worry, blocking his eyes from the sun. They exhaled the breath they were both holding as Sora sat up, alert.

"Sora!" Goofy exclaimed.

"You're awake!" Cheered Donald.

"Donald? Goofy?" Sora rubbed his eyes, "What's going on?" He asked. Flynn stood behind them, his arm around the shoulders of a worried looking brunette with round green eyes. "Rapunzel?" He asked. Dark brown hair lay piled at the base of the tower nearby. "What... happened?"

"You transformed into that dark... thing again, Sora," Goofy explained, his voice still shaky. "I tried to warn ya, but it was too late. You took care of most of that scary nobody, but then a smaller one knocked ya out and we couldn't bring you back again."

"Yea, then Flynn and Max showed up and we had to cover them so he could get to Rapunzel, and-"

"Eh, I'll fill him in on that later," Finn interjected.

"Then Goofy and I had to take care of the rest."

"The rest?" Sora rubbed his forehead in circles. "You're saying the two of you defeated that ginormous... thing?"

"Hey! Whaddya mean by that?" Donald fumed. "Goofy and I do plenty without you, thank you very much."

"There was also that beam of light that came outta the window up there and turned everything white for a second. That seemed to hurt it quite a bit," Goofy added.

"Yea... but, we did most of the work," asserted Donald.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," Rapunzel said, stepping forward and abruptly wrapping her arms around Sora's neck. Sora patted her back uneasily, hoping against hope that his face wasn't turning red. _She's the same height._

"Yes, thank you. I don't know what would have happened if you guys weren't here," Flynn said, clasping Sora's hands within his own.

"It was no trouble at all," Sora lied. He grinned from ear to ear at the couple, with their flushed faces and their arms all over each other. It wasn't until then did Sora notice the horrible looking blood stain on Flynn's side. "So," he began, "what-" His inquiry was cut short by the sound of trumpets blaring and hooves rumbling in the distance.

"Halt in the name of your King!" A man bellowed from the small elite force of twelve horsed soldiers that descended alongside the ridge and rounded the corner of the cliff face.

"Time to go?" Sora asked Donald and Goofy.

"What do you mean? You're telling me you would leave us here with the guards to explain this mess?" Flynn exclaimed, full of disbelief.

"We have these rules..." Sora tried to reason, but the argument died on his tongue.

"Since when do care about that?" Asked Donald.

"What are you saying? Where are they going?" Rapunzel questioned, looking to each and every one of them for any sort of answer as the horsemen approached the small, significantly weakened party.

"You there! Young lady! Step away from that man immediately. He is a wanted criminal," the commander shouted from atop his high horse. Rapunzel refused to comply, instead, she stepped in front of the accused and stood firm. "Flynn Ryder, you are under arrest for crimes against his majesty and the state, among those being treason, theft, and attempted slaughter of a palace guard. How do you answer to these charges?"

"He's not guilty!" Rapunzel shouted, digging her heels in and making herself as tall as possible to shield the much taller outlaw.

"Treason? That seems a like a bit much," complained Flynn. Rapunzel hurriedly fidgeted with the buckle on the satchel she wore across her torso.

"Step aside, girl, if you know what's good for you," the Soldier barked.

"This is what you're looking for, is it not?" She asked, whipping out the stolen royal heirloom and holding it in a tight fist for the world to see, sunbeams gleaming off the myriad of precious gemstones.

"Thief! You will also answer for the crimes of your accomplice." Sora summoned his keyblade quietly and stood. "Arrest her!" The guardsmen shouted to his men. Calm and collected, Sora counted the men at arms and calculated the effort it would take to unhorse them all. Before he could take action, however, the guards halted before Rapunzel, who had placed the crown on top of her head.

"My name is Rapunzel. I am the lost princess of the Kingdom of Corona," she said with the voice of a queen.

"Wak!" Quacked Donald.

"Oh..." said Sora, "oh!" Of course, why hadn't he seen it before?

"Yea, I kinda figured that," Goofy said simply, scratching the side of his tilted head.

"Yesterday was my birthday. I am eighteen years old," she went on. "I was kidnapped as an infant by a woman who used my magical hair to keep herself young... she's gone now, she turned to dust. She's right there next to my dead hair, which used to be gold." When the princess turned to point at the ragged, pathetic looking cloak at the base of the tower, her eyes welled with tears. She wiped them away with the palm of her hand and turned back and faced the men determinedly. "I demand to be reunited with my father and mother, the King and Queen of Corona... please."

Rapunzel trembled, balled fists at her sides, but stood unyielding with her chin held high, never flinching under the commander's scrutinizing eye. The interchangeable soldiers exchanged unknowing glances with one another, even their horses seemed anxious and excited over the circumstance.

"It would explain Maximus," the right-hand man told his commanding officer.

"She's the spitting image of her majesty." Sora heard one soldier whisper to another. Others murmured there agreement. Sora knew then it was over.

"We'll escort you to the palace for further questioning." The captain said, his voice wavering slightly in its sternness. He snapped his fingers twice and signaled, pointing at Flynn, and the horsemen formed a circle behind the pair without question.

"Don't touch him! He's been badly injured and he needs care," the princess pleaded. "He saved me from never seeing the light of day again." She looked at Flynn with tender eyes and took an arm from his non-bloodied side and wrapped it around her shoulder, her arm snaking around his torso to prop him up.

"Blondie, it's not that bad anymore," Flynn whispered.

"I won't have you out of my sight until I see the king. You were a wanted criminal even before we met," Rapunzel whispered. "And you might need to think of a better nickname."

"How about your highness?" He said with a smirk. Rapunzel made a face. "Punzie…? We'll think of something."

* * *

Thus did Rapunzel and Flynn make their famous march to the high hill atop their most trusted steed. Maximus had arrived at the tower shortly before departure with nearly a hundred burly, beer belching men in brown, armed with axes and maces and ready for a siege. They, in turn, cheered the princess along after a proclamation from Flynn (now going by Eugene,) and followed the procession of guardsmen without quarrel. Maximus, who was worn from a night of running into and out of danger, was the unsung hero of the day, marching his liege slowly, yet regally home. The odd assortment of celebrators and horsed knights spread intrigue throughout the land. Forest dwellers and fishing folk, many confused as to what or whom they were championing, soon joined the commotion that led all the way to the palace gates.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy expressed their farewells while they saw Eugene and Rapunzel inside the walls of the keep, only choosing to leave once the bells began to blare.

As for himself, Sora had other matters to attend to, and new questions that demanded answers from a fellow keyblade wielder.


	12. Renegade

_I am a child_

 _of the moon_

 _being raised by the sun_

 _in a world walked by stars_

 _and a sky drawn with flowers_

 _-Zara Ventris_

* * *

"Liar."

"I'm not lying! That's honestly what she told me!"

"She said, in her own words, that I would make a good dad?"

"Yes! Why is that so hard to believe?"

"In what context would she ever tell you that?"

"Well, we were talking about maybe having kids someday…" Sora reeled back.

"Why were you talking about that?" Lea scoffed, incredulous.

"We were getting ice cream, and there were these little kids in line in front of us, and we both love kids, so we started discussing who among us would be good parents. She said you would probably be, and Riku too, though you'd be wildly different kinds of parents. It was totally casual."

"Well.. then.." he stammered, "why even bring it up?" The keyblade wielder had gotten himself good and flustered.

"You said," Lea mimicked Sora in a voice pure as a lamb, ""some kids didn't have their parents around, so we looked after them." Then I said "Kairi said you'd make a good dad," and, well, here we are." Lea gestured to the present.

"Why are you getting so worked up, Sora?" Donald teased, his snicker threatening to burst from his beak.

"Yea, I'm a Dad," said Goofy, completely unheard.

"I thought it was a compliment!" Lea said innocuously. "I didn't realize it would derail you like this." In truth, he hadn't expected the reaction to be as explosive as it was. Sora always did so much to brighten his mood.

"Your face is all red," said Goofy, his smile unabashed.

"It is not," Sora replied, vexed. Lea gained control of his features and let the moment die, generously allowing Sora a second to shrug it off. "Well, what about before?" He asked, "The dream I told you about?"

"How am I suppose to know what I was doing in your dreams?" Lea had decided he would rather not know why he only existed around violet imagery in others' memories. This I how I'll live forever.

"Hey, it's just a question. I thought maybe figuring out what happened to Naminé might solve our Roxas conundrum," said Sora.

"How so? You didn't even mention Roxas."

"Maybe they were his memories."

"Don't think so."

"How can you be so sure?" Sora challenged.

"Because I think I would remember setting Roxas on fire by snapping my fingers," Lea replied obstinately, "and Roxas didn't know Naminé while she was with us."

"With 'Us?' "

"Yea, you mentioned a big white room. That would be Castle Oblivion."

"Castle Oblivion?"

"Yes…?" Lea said slowly.

"Where you and I met."

"Correct."

"Which I have no memory of," Sora quizzed. Lea sensed a trap. "Or do I?"

"Gosh, how should I know? Do you remember?" Lea's patience had become thin ice. "We had a few laughs, threw a few punches, they were good times! Did-you-get-them-memorized?" Sora went silent. A group of children in his peripheral vision had stopped whatever it was they were doing and stood gaping at Lea, whispering to one another. Lea folded his arms and waited.

"No," Sora admitted, "I don't remember fighting you at all. Not as me, anyway…" Lea ignored the stabbing pain in his chest and moved away from the topic.

"Well, Roxas was never in Castle Oblivion, so you can put your nightmares to rest." Sora computed his words but had no response to them.

"Maybe Kairi would know," he said. Lea scratched the back of his head. "She said she has dreams of her."

"I could ask her for ya, but I don't know when you'll get an answer. My schedule is kinda up in the air these days," he lied.

"Then there must be a way I could ask her myself. If I could just see Merlin, maybe he could-"

"I'm sorry buddy, but it's not possible." Lea shook his head. He had real sympathy for the kid, but it wasn't as if he'd be able to talk to Kairi anyway. Knowing the truth on the matter would only upset him further- and they wouldn't want that, of course.

"I just don't understand. There are other Princesses just out there in the open, and they are fine. Why does she have to be imprisoned like that?"

"Whoa, imprisoned? Where do you think she is, in a basement somewhere?"

"All I mean is-"

"You're right. You don't understand." Lea unfolded his arms. "Not only does Kairi have a pure heart and a keyblade; she has you-" he took a step closer to Sora, his eyes fixed down on him "…and you don't seem to realize just how much danger that puts both of you in." A wretched image appeared in Lea's head: of Roxas desperately trying to reach the end of a vast, glaring white hall, screaming in the throes of a complete, systematic breakdown in the same way Kairi had.

"Yea, but…"

"How many Organization members have you run into on your travels?" Lea asked. Sora's eyes darted to the side. "I rest my case."

"I could protect her…" Sora mumbled.

"What were you saying before? About fighting Marluxia all night?"

"Alright, alright, I get it. And I didn't fight Marluxia, it was a horrifying, massive, statue-monster."

"Ah yes. I can just imagine you and Kairi against thirteen of those." Sora looked away with a barely concealed eye-roll.

"Sora?" Goofy asked with droopy eyes.

"Well, if she has any information, let me know, okay?" Requested Sora, defeated. Now Lea had done it. The kicked puppy look on an actual puppy's face took away any fun Lea may have been having.

"Sure thing," Lea replied. Who was Sora to act as if Lea was being defensive? Of course, he was lying. He knew full well he wouldn't get any information for Sora. Still, the distrust stung.

* * *

"I thought I told you not to use the darkness as means of transport anymore." The master cast a beam of pure light magic over him, alleviating the rapid throbbing feeling in his veins.

"I had no choice. Sora caught me, again." Lea's arm felt as if it had just been put out of fire. He stumbled across the foyer, bracing himself on the stair rail.

"Sora?" Merlin stormed around him. "You saw him in Twilight Town? Why didn't you say so immediately?"

"I did... I- I'm telling you right now." Lea was in no mood. "I also ran into my dear old friend Saix. He says hi."

"Is that a jape?"

"Oh! That's what you sent me for, right? To make sure the Organization and their pesky little friends weren't terrorizing the city, eh? Shoot.." Merlin also apparently wasn't in any mood. "Relax, it was much earlier. Sora is taking care of it."

"Are you sure you weren't followed?"

"I get the feeling they didn't want anything to do with Sora and co." Not yet, anyway, at least from what Lea could glean. "They left well before he got there."

"Did they try to attack you? Did you find out what they were doing there?"

"No and no." It's not as if Saix was ever very forthcoming with his, ahem, "plans." Though he had been tasked to gather information on the Organization, (an ironic job, considering his resume,) Lea wasn't feeling particularly chatty. The old man had berated him for weeks on end- he deserved it, no doubt, but he was tired. Truly living a full human existence again was exhausting, and having any and every emotion, or person, sneak up on him at any given moment, overwhelming. How did people like Sora and Riku deal with it all? The disgruntled wizard hung over him like a storm cloud, extinguishing his flame at every turn, but that was the least of his concerns if Kairi didn't wake soon. "So, we gonna tell our little hero about his little princess, or...?"

"Have you taken leave of your senses? We will do no such thing." The wizard turned and ascended the stairway leading to Kairi's room, Lea followed. Weeks ago he'd sprinted up nearly identical steps at the sound of awful, agonized shrieks when he found Kairi. She had one of Naminé's drawings clutched to her chest and was lying on her side, sobbing.

"Her heart is vulnerable," the wizard continued, "and she is incapable of guarding it herself. Now more than ever we must keep all knowledge of this between us and Master Yen Sid, alone." They entered the room where Kairi lay lifeless and perfectly still, her brow ever so often tensing and releasing. "Oh my dear," Merlin said despairingly, "what have you gotten yourself into?"

"I just thought he might know how to wake her," Lea said with a shrug. Merlin waved a small wooden chair into existence and sat with an exasperated sigh. Lea might've thought the old man was having some sort of aneurism had he not acted this way at every sign of conflict.

"And if he can't? Do you think that boy will not go rushing to her immediately? Then comes the Organization to attack him and steal her heart. And then what happens?"

"The universe collapses into darkness, or something. Yes, yes, I know."

"And how do you think he will react to…well, to this?" He gestured to Kairi.

"I imagine he'd be a bit... annoyed... but, Sora is solid. It was her idea, anyway," something he had reminded Merlin of more than once, "I'm sure he'd get that."

"He might be upset we didn't have a better way of protecting her…" the wizard lost himself in a thought.

"...and?" Lea asked, perplexed. "Are you afraid of a little tantrum?" Merlin shot Lea a look, but he was no longer paying attention to his pupil.

"I'm going to see him," said the wizard, standing, "hopefully I'm not too late. Look after her, alright?"

"Just like always. I got it." Merlin nodded at him before throwing his arm up and vanishing in a cloud of twinkling silver dust. Look after her. The words echoed in his mind. I'm doing my best.

Lea sat in the small wooden chair Merlin had created. Looking after Kairi was no small feat, as it turned out. It had been relatively easy for him to kidnap her before. If she was awake, she could have been a formidable force by now. He couldn't argue with the old man about her state of vulnerability, and he was not about to advertise her to his old "friends."

He hadn't been a very good body guard for her body double, either. He was too resigned with life to concern himself over Naminé's fate. Ansem the "Wise" cared a lot less. If Lea ever thought about her survival, it was when it benefited him. He couldn't bother himself to care for most things, save for Roxas, by extension Sora, and once upon a time Isa, and now Kairi, and-

And...

Tears were in his eyes again, he wiped his face with his sleeve in disgust. He was such a leaky somebody. It was these- ugh- these feelings that he had to navigate again. It had taken him all his life to figure it out before, now he was like a newborn baby with the reasoning of a nobody.

Wake up, damnit.

Deja vu, he thought, he had been here so many times that it felt familiar in relation to the past- to Roxas, particularly. Sometimes he dreamt of Kairi in a black coat asleep in Roxas' bed. Sometimes it was Roxas himself, and there was still nothing to be done. It was almost too real, this memory of willing her to wake. Just thinking about it made him feel weak, inadequate. He had failed both of them, and his dreams never missed a chance to remind him.

"What's wrong?" He asked the dormant red head. "Where did you go?"

The real world yielded no answer. Lea was only looking for some peace and quiet and a little personal indulgence, a single moment to ponder atop the old clocktower with a bar of cyan ice cream. He used to come up with all of his best plans that way. If only Saix hadn't ruined it…

"I wasn't the one who betrayed our ideals," His once most trusted companion had told him, "I've remained loyal to what we once were since the beginning. You were the one who forgot. You betrayed the Organization. You chose the side that brings nothing but imbalance, which is actually rather fitting." It wasn't as if Lea was the one betraying humanity, though looking at a lifeless, guileless Kairi and knowing he could've prevented her current state made him feel otherwise.

"You're crazy," he told her, laughing despite himself, "I think that's why we get along."

He couldn't blame her for impetuousness. This redundant existence topped with constant apprehension would drive anyone to recklessness, and Kairi had already been restless long before she got there. The thrilling, glittering, varying worlds had remained clandestine only to her. Lea was older. He should've known better.

"I don't know what's going to happen if you don't come back. I wish I could be of some help."

What ideals, Isa? We were just a couple of kids in over our heads. And now you're someone else entirely. Soon there will be nothing left- and for what end, exactly? You, Kairi, Roxas and everyone else will be gone if Xehanort has his way, along with all your pretty ideals. And you speak of betrayal.

"Well, that oughta hold the lads off for a while." The wizard announced, having appeared in silence without Lea noticing.

"What did you do?" Lea asked.

"I did what I do with all petulant young people. I gave him activities."

"Why didn't I think of that? I could've picked up a coloring book and some crayons." Merlin gave Lea a rare, halfhearted smile.

"How is she? Any change?"

"Same as always," said Lea. The wizard sighed.

"At least she's safe for now. I sensed none of Xehanort's presence." Lea stood and let the Master sit. "I hope she isn't long in waking. We are far behind schedule."

"How do you know she will wake?"

"I can't be certain on her timing, but she will wake. She is completely intact. She has to."

"Then, what's wrong with her?" Typically by this time Merlin would have sent Lea off on some other task or exercise. He had figured that if the Master had any notion about Kairi, they would have found a way to bring her back by now.

"Naminé," Merlin answered, "she woke up."

"Naminé?" He should've seen that coming. "But, how is that possible?"

"Damned if I know." He waved his wand and absentmindedly formed a second chair for Lea. "I have concurred with Master Yen Sid. It's remarkable; all the evidence suggests that Namine's heart was conscious for a time."

"She does have a heart, then," Lea affirmed, taking a seat next to the old man, "like Roxas did?"

"Yes."

"Couldn't Sora just dive into her heart? Give her a shake?"

"No, it is not the same as it was with him. Sora went into his slumber willingly whilst Roxas' heart remained asleep. In this case, he would only crowd the vessel."

"What's to stop the same thing from happening to Sora?"

"I'm not sure," Merlin admitted, "But what is evident is that Naminé's heart responded to something from the original Twilight Town. And when roused, and without a form to claim for herself, she seized Kairi's body, overriding mind and consciousness with her own. I imagine it must have been far too painful for either of them to bear. She fainted, and.." Lea remembered perfectly- the horror on Merlin's face as he emerged from the teleport, Kairi in his arms within a complete state of comatose.

"Don't you think it's a little dangerous for our champion to be out there with a self-destruct switch that could go off at anytime?"

"This situation is rather unusual. We had thought what Namine has done impossible. Roxas and Naminé's cases are indeed both unique to history, but I know the things that girl has done. She is truly something extraordinary. Even I lost all memory and recording of Sora! Eh.. ahem…" Merlin pressed his fingers to his mustache and shook his head in disbelief. "Me, the man who exists sovereign from time and space! I've never seen anything like it in all the worlds! I can't explain how she woke. I can't explain her, and it is maddening." Merlin folded his forehead beneath his hands.

"So, there's nothing we can do?"

"That remains to be seen." He stood abruptly and crossed to the massive window. The happy, bluejay colored velvet curtains added pleasantness to a formally melancholy room. Never lacking in light, and far more grand than the library, Lea had no desire to sleep here when he had arrived first to the Mansion. Kairi made the entire suffocating house breathe with some magical assistance from Merlin. Any decorative suggestion, and the wizard would comply on whim; replacing uninviting, uncomfortable old furniture, painting over gloomy, enclosing dark walls and turning brass touches into gold. The nest she made for herself still had its blinding white walls, yet everything else was shaded in violets, pinks, or blues that glowed in the luminosity.

"What's this?" The Wizard asked, picking up a drawing from the top of the mauve tower of drawers that stood next to him. "This is what you found her with, yes?" Merlin, in his blind old rage, hardly seemed to register a word of his account at the time, instead cycling from distress to fury in front of Lea over and over again.

"Yea, why?"

"There's magic in this paper."

"What?" Lea stood, crossing to Merlin and looking over his shoulder. "Are you sure?"

"I'm certain. I didn't notice it before, I thought it was Namine herself I sensed, but…" Lea had stared at the drawing for hours the day Kairi fell asleep, though he hadn't picked it up since. The image made him joyless, despite the simple, innocent beauty of it.

"Namine was always drawing," Lea recalled. He had seen Naminé's nose stuck in her sketchbook countless times. We literally gave her crayons.

"Oh, that poor girl." Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Namine. One of those things was not like the other. The lines on this drawing in particular seemed bolder, drawn deeper, and the colors were vibrant, burning passionately into the page. The faceless figures were held hands. "I can feel her despair." He should have known. Of course she had a heart. Of course Roxas had a heart, and Xi-

Saix. He must have had one too.

"Where are the others?" Merlin asked.

"They're still over there, why?"

"Oh, no reason." Naminé's drawing disappeared into the wizard's sleeve. "We have work to do."

"Are ya sure? Seems like you're onto something there."

"No, no. It's likely nothing."

"You wanna go over there and check it out, don't you?"

"No, it could be dangerous. And your training comes first."

"Alright..." Lea said, unconvinced. He followed Merlin out into the hall.

"Oh, whatever," said Merlin, stopping in his tracks. "I won't be able to focus and you won't be able to focus if I'm not able to focus on you focusing."

"Of course. Let's go."


End file.
